Skate Like No One Is Watching
by Kittylin15
Summary: After Viktor experiences a creative block for his new routines. He decides he needs to get away from Russia for a bit. After seeing a commercial for Japan he heads for Hasetsu. Where he sees a midnight skater, who he finds mesmerizing. Will the mysterious stranger be the one to get him out of his creative slump?
1. Level 1

I wrote this for the Viktuuri Reverse Big Bang. My original partner Dragonic Giggles dropped out but YuuriwithViktor agreed to take their place. They have drawn art for each chapter. I will be posting once chapter each day. Enjoy the first two here since I didn't have time to post this one yesterday.

* * *

 **Skate Like No One Is Watching**

 **Level 1**

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After Viktor had won Worlds again and came back to his home rink, he was in a slump. Usually, he immediately had a new idea for a program for the next season. Heck, he was usually struggling to pick between multiple ideas and Yakov had to yell at him to just pick one already. This year was different though since nothing was coming to mind.

Any time he tried to piece one together, Viktor realized it was like one of his past programs. Nothing was original anymore. He gave up on song after song because they were giving him no inspiration. It just felt like he had done everything before. Having a 15-year career could do that to you. He performed the hardest jumps, broke multiple world records, and won gold medals one after another. It was hard to come up with something new that would surprise his fans.

It felt like the last month had been a waste. There had been no confirmed choreography or even a track picked out. He was having a really hard time coming up with a new program for nationals. Ever since Viktor had started to choreograph for himself, he had never had this problem.

Viktor made sure to still go to the rink every day so that he didn't become rusty. Inspiration could hit at any time though it didn't feel like it would happen here. Russia was a cold and dreary country most of the year.

Lacing up his golden skates, Viktor headed out onto the ice. His team mates were already there. He had many different ones over the years. Figure skaters were always coming and going. Either retiring or coming up from juniors. Yakov only accepted the best. Russia as a country had very high standards for all of their athletes. Their newest addition was Yuri Plisetsky. He was a hot headed teenager who had taken the juniors by storm.

"What's your problem, old man?" Yuri asked as Viktor had almost skated into him in his distraction.

It was true that Viktor must seem like an old man to a 15-year-old. The younger boy made him feel ancient. Of course, he would never show his inferiority. "I was thinking."

"Well think off the ice," Yuri instructed heatedly as he skated away and performed a triple axel as if to prove something.  
"That kid is just showing off," Georgi complained as he skated past.

"He has a lot of natural talent but his attitude gets in the way," Viktor replied as he continued to watch Yuri perform jump after jump until Yakov yelled at him to stop before he hurt himself.

"I was supposed to take the spot light when you retired," Georgi complained. "I guess it is true what they say. There is always someone younger and more talented to take your place."

The words 'take your place' reverberated through Viktor's brain. He knew that Georgi wasn't talking about himself but him. Was Yuri going to take his spot as the number one skater on the Russian team before he was ready?

"I'm glad that I don't have to compete against that little cat," Mila commented.

"Don't rub it in." Georgi snapped as he skated off to the other side of the rink to sulk by himself.

"I think he broke up with his girlfriend again," Mila said as she tied her hair back.

"Stopped gossiping and get to work!" Yakov yelled from the edge of the rink.

They skated in different directions and tried to look busy.

Viktor skated with his ear buds in as he tried to come up with choreography for a new song he had picked out late last night. Hopefully, this was the one that stuck.

"Look its Viktor!" He could hear squealed during an emotional part of the song; totally breaking his concentration. Viktor lost his footing even. He ripped out his ear buds and looked over towards the bleachers where a group of three teenage girls had gathered.  
It was a widely known fact which arena the Russian skating team practiced at. Their home rink was always surrounded by gushing fans in one way or another. Security often had to escort the more out determined fans out after they had managed to break in. It had become a much more frequent occurrence lately.

It broke Victor's concentration every time it happened. Usually, Viktor liked to play it up for his fans but after 15 years he was getting a little tired of it. The world of professional figure skating was beginning to lose some of its shine.

The teens squealed again when Yuri Plisetsky skated past them.

"Get them out of here!" Yakov yelled and a pair of two security guards headed towards them. The teens didn't fight being escorted out. They quickly snapped a few photos with their phones on the way out though.

Internally cursing, Viktor headed to the exit off the ice. He almost had something before he was disturbed. The fleeting idea that had been forming had been destroyed with one squeal. He was too frustrated now to try and come up with something new.

"Where do you think you are going?" Yakov asked as he stormed towards him.

"Home," Viktor replied as he put his skate guards on.

"Practice has only just started," Yakov claimed with irritation.

"There are too many distractions here. I'm going to try and brain storm somewhere quiet." Viktor stood up from the bench and headed towards the locker room to collect his stuff.

Yuri skated to the edge of the rink as he walked by. "Giving up already?"

One thing he liked about Yuri Plisetsky was that he wasn't afraid to give him shit for his actions. It should be intimidating for the younger skater to even talk to him let alone berate him for his unprofessional behavior.

Viktor decided to not respond and keep walking.

...

When Viktor unlocked the door to his apartment, he was immediately greeted by his dog. He leaned down to pet Makkachin, who was the only other resident.

His apartment felt lonely. There were no touches of it being a home. Viktor hardly ever spent any time here. It was more like a place to dump his stuff between competitions. Hotel rooms felt more comfortable to him than his own apartment.

The only truly warm thing in it was Makkachin. He had the dog since he started juniors. Makkachin had been a gift from his mother after winning his first gold medal ever. Truthfully the dog felt like more of a prize than his gold medal ever did.

When Viktor was young his parents divorced. His mother was awarded custody of him and his father ended up leaving the country for work. Viktor visited him in England a couple times a year but it made his relationship with his father very distant because they didn't see each other often enough.

Once Viktor was older, his mother told him about a job offer she received to go work in Korea. She wanted him to come with her. He was already well established on the junior Russian figure skating team and didn't want to leave. Yakov agreed to become his guardian since he believed in his talent so much. Viktor moved into his coach's apartment after his mother left the country.  
Makkachin was more of a goodbye gift than anything.

He bought this apartment once he turned eighteen with the check from his first big endorsement deal. You would think that would make it special to him, it didn't because he had no one to share it with.

Looking out the window of his condo all he saw was the dreary weather. Viktor yearned for the sun to shine. Sunlight always felt much more inspiring than the rain. Viktor felt like Russia was smothering him. Just like that, he had made a decision.  
Viktor needed to get away for a bit. It was time for a change of scenery.

Just leaving his home rink wasn't good enough. It would be impossible to hide in Russia so he decided he had to leave the country altogether. But to where? It was a hard decision to make since it could make or break the rest of his career.

Viktor didn't want to go too far away though. Victor looked towards lower Asia. China was crossed off right away because there were too many athletes that knew his face. India was too hot and Korea was where his mother lived.

Viktor sat down to eat some take out in front of the TV while he contemplated. During the commercial break, one of those tourists adds came on. This one was advertising the Japanese country side and focused heavily on their natural hot springs.  
He practically drooled at the thought of getting to soak in the hot springs after a long day of training.

Then it hit him. Japan had always intrigued him. Why not spend the next month there. Viktor decided to do some research before he packed his bags. Deciding he wanted to pick a rink in a small town. Somewhere where he could actually relax for once.

He looked up towns with hot springs and then searched which ones had a skating rink. Only one really fit his criteria. Hasetsu looked perfect. It was a quaint coastal town with a hot spring walking distance of a skating rink.

Viktor looked up the contact information for the Inn that had been listed in the tourist information. It was weird that there was only one left in the area. They didn't have a website that you could book through, there was just a phone number listed. It was very old school but Viktor figured the owners must have run it so long they didn't feel the need to change with the times.

He dialed the number for Yu-topia and listened to it ring. An older female voice answered in Japanese. Viktor guessed the women said the usual greeting so he replied with. "I would like to make a reservation."

"Ah, English. One moment." The women said in English. He could hear a short conversation go on in the background. Then the phone being passed over to someone else.

"You have called the Yu-topia onsen and hot springs, how may I help you?" A younger female voice spoke.  
"I would like to make a reservation to stay for a few weeks," Viktor replied. Informing the speaker that he would like to book for an extended stay if that was possible.

"How long?" The inn worker asked.

Viktor replied with "I'm not sure." He was leaving to get over his creative block. Would he want to come back to Russia once it was over? "I'll be there for at least three weeks but I don't have a date of return pinned down yet."

"We can charge you by the day after the three week period has passed, so you can leave anytime." The woman offered on the other end of the phone.

"That would be great," Viktor replied cheerfully.

"Our rooms come with meals and full access to the hot springs. It is all included in the price." The woman informed him and gave the cost for the three weeks. "Will that be alright?"

"That will be fine," Viktor replied as Makkachin rested his head on his knee. He usually left his poodle at a pet hotel while he was out of town but it was generally only for a week during competitions. It would be hard for him to be separated for so long. "What's your policy on pets?"

"They are allowed as long as they stay out of the bathing areas." The women replied.

"I'm surprised. Most hotels forbid them." Viktor said his first thought out loud.

"My brother has a dog so it would be hypercritical of us to not allow our guests to bring them." She explained.  
"So I'll be bringing my poodle if that's ok," Viktor informed.

"Another one..." The women mumbled under her breath. "What date would you like your arrival to be set at?"  
"As soon as you have an opening," Viktor replied with eagerness.

"It is the slow season right now so you can come any day." The women explained. Their main draw was the hot spring which was more popular in the winter. The Pacific Ocean was currently still too cold to swim in. Early spring was their in-between time.  
Thinking over what he had to do before be left Viktor calculated the time. "Would two days from now be too soon?"

"No. We'll make sure to have a room ready." She assured him. "What name would you like the booking to be under?"

"Oh, uh..." Viktor decided to make the booking under a fake name on the spot. You never know who might recognize his real one. "Nikolai Stepanov." The last name meant crown which was fitting. The first name meant 'victory of the people' but it could also mean flower. So he came up with a name that could mean flower crown.

"That'll be fine. How would you like to pay?" She asked.

"Here's my credit card number." Viktor hung up the phone once they finalized his stay. It almost shocked Viktor how quickly he made the decision to leave and making a hotel booking. Yakov always did call him impulsive. Now all that was left was to buy a plane ticket and to pack.

"It looks like you and I are going on a trip." Viktor said to his poodle, who just wagged his tail in response.

o0o

Viktor showed up to practice the next day like usual to not let on that he was going anywhere.

He had booked a plane ticket for later that night. He had decided to take a late flight so he would fly through the night. After he lands in Japan there was a long train ride to get to Hasetsu and he would much rather do that during the day time.

Once Viktor was finished for the day he discretely emptied everything he had in his locker into a duffle bag and then locked it back up. He left a note inside explaining to Yakov that he was going somewhere quite to train but left out the location.

...

Everything was set for him to leave. Viktor had gone back to his apartment to have a quick shower and pick up his suitcase and dog. After throwing on some comfy travel clothes, he made sure everything was off. Satisfied that he hadn't left the TV on or anything he headed to the front door.

"Ready to go Makkachin?" Viktor asked his poodle, who woofed in response.

Suddenly there was banging at his apartment door. "Viktor, open this door right now!"

With a sigh Victor went to answer the door. He thought for sure he would have more time because of where he left the note. How often did Yakov snoop in his locker?

"Yakov." He greeted brightly as if nothing was going on.

"What the hell are you thinking Victor? Just up and leaving at the start of training." Yakov pushed his way into the apartment. Narrowing his eyes as he looked around the room."Where the hell is all your stuff."

"Shipped it." Viktor answered. The night before he had packed all the things he wanted to bring from his apartment. He had a guy from fed ex pick them up that morning. They would probably arrive after he got to the onsen.

Leaving him with just a small carry-on he packed with a few change of clothes and any valuables he couldn't live without; like his skates. Viktor liked traveling lightly.

"To where?" Yakov inquired forcefully.

"Can't tell you that." Viktor answered slyly.

"I'll drive you to the airport." Yakov offered since he figured there was no stopping the boy now.

"I already called a taxi. It should be here any minute now." Viktor replied and seconds later his cell rang. "Good bye, Yakov."

o0o

When Viktor got to the airport he headed towards the gate that was headed towards Tokyo. There were no direct flights from St. Petersburg to Kyoto. He had been to so many skating competitions in Tokyo over the years. He had wanted to avoid the city since he was so well known there. It was just where he would make a stop over to catch his flight to Kyoto which was much closer to his final destination.

It was a much longer trip since his stopover in Tokyo would last a couple hours. It stretched his travel time to over 17 hrs and he wasn't even at his final destination. Hasetsu was located in the Kyushu province, which was the furthest Southern Island of Japan. He had to take a train that would travel for several hours to get there. He really hoped all this traveling was worth it.

After he got off the plane the only thing Viktor had to collect was his dog. Makkachin was used to flying so when he was let out of the crate he was good to go. When Viktor was younger he couldn't stand to be away from his dog for long periods of time.

Viktor walked with Makkachin's leash in one hand and his carry-on in the other. The airport had already grown busy because it was close to lunch time already. Japan was 6 hours ahead of Russia.

He took the express bus to the train station. It was packed full of people but luckily they cleared out of his way easily because he had a dog with him. Viktor was glad he hadn't picked to catch the train directly from Tokyo because he knew the crowds there were worse.  
They had another hour until the train was going to leave so Viktor decided to go to the bathroom. Now that they had gotten through airport customs, Viktor was able to change his appearance without causing a scene.

Viktor opened his carry-on and took out the package he had quickly picked up on his way to the rink yesterday. Opening the box it revealed the two items; a hair net and a short brown wig. He knew changing his name wasn't enough for him to slip under the radar.  
Tucking his hair into the hair net and then pulled the wig cap on. He had originally tried to go with a black one but the colour had totally washed him out. The brown colour he had gone with even warmed up his skin tone a bit. After adjusting it Viktor checked his appearance in the mirror.

This wasn't any cheap costume wig either. Viktor had bought the best quality wig because he wanted to be able to figure skate with it on and not have now worry about it falling off. Viktor was satisfied with the realistic results.

Next he took out a small box of coloured contacts. Viktor knew his eye color was just as distinguishing as his hair. A very large percentage of the population had brown eyes in Japan, his blue ones were considered exotic in compare and would gain attention. After putting the lenses in, he looked at himself in the mirror.

Viktor hardly recognized himself. With the brown hair and eyes it totally changed the way he looked. He doubted even Yakov would recognize him if he passed him on the street.

His train was called so Viktor quickly packed everything up and headed for business class. Viktor had paid extra to be able to keep Makkachin with him. He settled in for a couple hours of train travel.

.0.

Viktor was jolted awake when the train pulled into Hasetsu station. Only a couple people got off at the same stop with him. There was only a platform with a small building that held a ticket booth, waiting area, and bathrooms. It was much smaller than the grand ones he was used to.

According to the map he had looked at for the town on his phone, he should be able to walk to the inn from the station. Decided to take a cab straight to the onsen's front door. Viktor knew he would only get lost if he tried to take the scenic root because he wouldn't be able to read any of the signs.

He showed the driver the address of where he wanted to go. The man nodded and took his suitcase to put in the trunk. Viktor opened the door and had Makkachin jump in before entering himself.

Viktor looked at the town with fascinated eyes as the shops whizzed by. So far Hasetsu looked just as charming as Google made it appear. His smile widened when the beach came into view.

The taxi stopped in front of a place with a sign that read Yu-topia. Viktor took out some of the cash he had exchanged at the airport to pay the driver. Luckily he was familiar with the money from competing in Tokyo before. He got out then held opened the door so that Makkachin could get out.

The poodle stood obediently beside him as Victor received his suitcase. "Arigato." Viktor knew enough Japanese to be polite.  
The driver replied with "Iiyo"(Don't mention it) and then climbed back in his taxi. He drove off, probably back to the train station to probably pick up another fare. The town was small enough that locals probably walked everywhere.

Once Viktor entered, he noticed a sign in both Japanese and English that told patrons to remove their outdoor shoes and change into indoor shoes. There were packages of slippers on a shelf beside it as well as a few well-used ones that were off to the side.

Viktor made sure to be respectful and follow instructions. He slipped off his dress shoes and placed them next to a pair of well-worn trainers that were on the shelf already. Opening a new package, he placed the slippers on his feet.

Rolling his single suitcase to the front desk area where there was a man waiting at the check-in desk. Makkachin followed behind him obediently.

"How may I help you?" The innkeeper asked in English. He could probably tell just by looking at Victor that he wouldn't know Japanese so had switched to English that was a more universal language.

"I'm here to check in. It should be under the name Ni-Stepanov." Viktor had to mentally remind himself to check-in under his fake name.

"You are the one that is staying three weeks?" The innkeeper asked as he checked his bookings. It stood out because they usually only received guests for a few days or the weekend.

"Yes," Viktor replied in confirmation.

"Your room is ready." The man offered him a key with the number three etched into the keychain. "My wife will show you the way."  
A woman appeared from the kitchen. She froze when she saw him and whispered something to her husband. After he said something back she pulled herself together. "Right this way Mr. Stepanov."

He followed her further into the inn. They entered a hallway with rosewood rice paper doors along both sides. The women opened the third door down on the right side and made a motion with her hands for him to enter.

Viktor rolled his suitcase into the room. It had a tatami mat floor but also featured a western style raised bed. He had noticed when they passed some of the other rooms they had the usual futons; so this room must be reserved for foreign patrons.  
"Ok?" The women asked if everything was to his satisfaction with her limited English.

"It's perfect," Victor replied. Makkachin pushed passed him to examine the room. He planned to dump his suitcase and then immediately go check out the skating facilities but then his stomach growled loudly.

The woman was still standing right there. "If you are hungry, I can make something for you?" She offered after hearing the noise his stomach made.

"That would be lovely," Viktor replied as he held a hand over his abdomen with a blush.

...

Viktor shoveled in the food that the women supplied him with. He hadn't realized just how hungry he had become. He had eaten on the plane but even first class didn't have the best food. The Japanese noodle dish they had served him was delicious.  
"What's this called?" Viktor asked so that he could request to have it again later.

"It's a pork cutlet bowl." The wife explained. "It's my son's favorite."

"Itte kimasu!"(I'll go and come back) could be heard shouted out and then the sound of the sliding door opening and closing.  
"That's just our son heading off to work." The innkeeper explained.

The sound of whining and scratching followed. "Koko ni kite!"(Come here) The man exclaimed in a commanding voice. A small dog came running from around the corner. Viktor was delighted since it was like a mini Makkachin. "That's my son's dog, Vichan."

"As in Viktor?" Pausing in his motion to pet the small poodle. He knew the different versions of his name from all the traveling he does. No one had used that version of his name since he leveled up from the Junior league.

"Yes, I believe so. My son named him after his favorite figure skater or something." The innkeeper clarified.

Viktor avoided eye contact because he knew they were talking about him without knowing it. "I'm actually from Russia so I know exactly who that Viktor is."

"Oh, I was trying to place your accent but I thought it would be rude to ask." The wife commented. "I don't know any Russian."

"It's fine. I don't expect you to speak my native language." Viktor assured her. "I have to travel a lot for work so I have become very good at conversing in English." It was true that Viktor did have to travel a lot and communicate with skaters from all around the world.  
The women smiled at him in understanding. "What do you do?"

Viktor hadn't thought of a career for his fake identity. He thought of something off the top of his head that would require a lot of traveling. "I'm a flight attendant."

"It must be nice to fly all over the world." The wife commented and Viktor nodded in agreement. It was nice though it could be very lonely because many of your friends didn't live in the same country as you. That was why he spent so much time on social media. "It's nice to have guests from other places."

Viktor finished his meal with a sound a satisfaction.

"You may enjoy the hot springs if you would like?" The male innkeeper offered.

"Actually, do you know where the skating rink is?" Viktor inquired, they gave him directions to the Ice Castle.

Victor noticed the trainers were gone when he went to retrieve his shoes. They must be owned by the son they were talking about.

.0.

Viktor followed their verbal directions to make his way to the skating rink. Currently, the symbols on the street signs meant nothing to him. He went across the bridge and walked the three blocks and then turned left, then he could see the top of the skating rink poking out of the trees.

He walked towards the Ice Castle at a brisk speed. Viktor was excited to check out where he would be training for the near future.  
It had grown late already so he wasn't even sure if it would even be open. Viktor tried the door and found it unlocked. When he entered, Viktor noticed many of the lights were off. They must be in the process of locking up for the night.

Viktor didn't think it would hurt to take a peek. He slipped in the front door and headed towards the ice. The lights above the rink were still on.

It was the usual hockey-size rink, though it didn't have the glass surrounding it that was required for safety from flying pucks. It wasn't surprising since Hockey wasn't a popular sport in Japan. It looked like the ice had been recently cleaned.

Music started to play suddenly. Viktor thought it was one of the workers who wanted to listen to something while they cleaned up. It was a cover of the Imogen Heap song Hide and Seek. A young man started to skate out to the middle of the rink.

It surprised him when they started to figure skate along to the music. It was a sad song so his movements were slow to match the pace. It seemed like the music was coming from the skater. That he was actually feeling the sad and longing emotions. It made him want to comfort the stranger.

The man was in no rush and was skating for pure enjoyment. Viktor miss the days he used to do the same. Skating had become more of a job than something he did for fun. He was too far away to make out the man's facial features.

Viktor had seen a lot of figure skating over the years but this one seemed different for some reason. The skater launched himself into a waltz jump that was perfectly performed. It was quickly followed by a complex step sequence. He didn't know what a talented skater was doing here.  
Dancing across the ice as if no one was watching. The skater probably believed that he was alone. There was so much expression in his poses as if he had all the confidence in the world. You always performed best when no one was watching.

The figure glided around the rink performing movements that were soft and mournful and utterly captivating. Viktor never wanted the program to end. He watched the mysterious skater glide across the ice, without even knowing he was seducing him.

The music was cut off in the middle of the song. Viktor was disappointed because he wanted to see more.

"Breaking in the ice?" A young women commented from the side of the rink. The man stopped skating and turned to look at her. "I have to lock everything up now."

Viktor hid in the shadows so he wouldn't be noticed. Slipping out while the two were still talking.

 **...TBC**


	2. Level 2

**Skate Like No One Is Watching**

 **Level 2**

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Viktor slapped his alarm clock when it went off at his normal time. The thing was that Japan was six hours ahead of Russia. It was only midnight in St. Petersburg right now. His body was telling him that he should still be sleeping. Jet-leg was hitting him hard.

He knew that if he didn't start getting up at his usual training time now it would be harder further down the line. Viktor forced himself out of the warm covers. He had been so tired yesterday after traveling all day that he hadn't had a chance to have a shower.

He checked the shower room to make sure no one was in there before removing his hood. After he finished washing, he wrapped a towel around his head to hide his hair colour. When he got back to his room Viktor put his wig on. Adding some bobby pins to make sure it would stay in place.

It would take a while for him to get used to the different hair colour. He almost forgot to put his contacts in.

Grabbing a quick breakfast before heading out to the rink. The daughter of the inn-keepers promised to look after Makkachin while he was away. The two dogs seemed to enjoy interacting with each other so Viktor didn't worry about him.

The Ice Castle was quiet when Viktor arrived. He spotted the same young women he had seen last night at the skate kiosk. She was humming and polishing the skates. Viktor decided to announce his presence. "What times is the ice usually free?"

Squeaked in surprise, dropping the skate she had been holding. "I'm sorry, I was wasn't expecting anyone to be around. We usually don't get many skaters during the weekday at this time."

"Does that mean I'll get the ice all to myself?" Viktor asked with enthusiasm. It would be nice not to have to fight for ice time.

"More than likely. We usually don't have many customers until school gets out." The women explained.

"I'm sorry for surprising you. I would like to practice figure skating here during the off times." Viktor explained his purpose for being there.

"Really? I love figure skating. When I was younger I wanted to do it professionally one day but then I got pregnant," She started to ramble off. "Life just got in the way. One of my friends almost made it but we don't talk about it."

"It's too bad about the skating but congratulations on your child," Viktor responded politely.

"Well, children and then some. I had triplets. I named them after jumps; Axel, Lutz, and Loop." The women responded. "Wow, now you know a lot about me and I don't even know your name."

"I'm Nikolai Stepanov." Viktor introduced himself.

"I'm Yuuko. If you need anything you can come and ask me." She offered her services.

"Can I get a locker? I plan to be here for a while and it would be easier to just leave my skates here instead of dragging them back and forth." Viktor asked, holding up his duffle bag.

"Of course." Yuko dug around under the counter and revealed a lock with a key. "Just return it when you're done."

"Thank you." Viktor collected the lock and turned around to looked at the locker room doors. He didn't know which one to pick because the writing was in Japanese. There were no stick figures so you could know the difference.

"The male fitting room is right over there." Yuuko pointed to a large blue door with a (男) symbol on it. Which must be the Japanese symbol for boy or man.

Viktor nodded in thanks and made his way over to the door. It was just an ordinary locker room with benches and a bathroom area. There was actually a shower though which was surprising for a skating rink of this size. Viktor decided to pick the lockers closest to the shower area so it would be easier to get dressed.

He reached into his skating bag and was going to grab his gold skates but then stopped. If he wore those he was sure to be given away to Yuuko since she did watch figure skating. He grabbed his extra pair instead which were much more toned down.

Before exiting the changing room he checked his wig in the mirror.

The rink was practically abandoned compared to the one in Russia. Skaters were always clamoring for Yakov to coach them so there was usually a large number of other bodies on the ice at a time. It felt nice to have the rink to himself for once.

Viktor took his guards off and then pushes off onto the ice. Even though it had only been a day of not skating, he had missed the feeling of the ice under his feet.

He did a few warm-up laps before attempting some jumps. He started with a toe loop and then went into a flip. After he successfully performs those easier jumps, Viktor attempted a triple salchow. When he came out of his third rotation and landed it successfully, Viktor could hear clapping.

Looking over his shoulder as Viktor glided, he could see Yuuko standing at the edge of the rink. She must have been watching him skate the whole time. "Wow! That was amazing. I can never perform more than a double successfully."

Viktor graciously accepted the compliment and continued warming up. The women went back to finish preparing for skaters arrivals later in the day.

He had to get used to the new facilities. The rink was much smaller in size than the one he practiced at in Russia but he also didn't have to share it with anyone. Usually he could only use part of the ice unless he was showing a finished routine to Yakov. It was strange to be able to skate in peace for once.

Viktor couldn't get the mysterious man from last night out of his head. He kept his eyes open for any sign of him. When Viktor didn't see the skater around, he decided he was going come back that night at the same time as before.

Hopefully the mysterious skater would be there.

 **...**

When Viktor slipped in the figure was too caught up in skating to notice his entrance. Quietly he found a place hidden in the shadows to watch. Viktor was so curious who the skater was. They were a mystery to him. Why did they come and skate when no one would be watching?

The skater performed a complicated step sequence then transitioned into a spiral, his leg was high above his head. Arching his back he performed a Bielman position, catching the blade of his skate and pulling his free leg over his head. Then transitioned so smoothly into the next move, a forward camel spin.

His gaze was transfixed on the figure dancing across the ice. There was a movement to match each note change in the music. Still hidden in the shadows Viktor watched unable to look away.

It was definitely more like dancing than the mechanical moves some skaters performed. Only worried about the points they would received for a technically perfectly performed routine and forgetting about the musicality. Viktor wondered if the skater had any professional training in dance.

Without thinking, Viktor moved closer to get a better look. Brown eyes locked with blue. The man's skates shot shaved ice since he stopped so fast.

As soon as Viktor realised he had been noticed he quickly left. He didn't want their first meeting to be because he was stalking the man. Cursing himself for being spotted. When Viktor looked back on his way out, he could see that the man had stopped skating and was looking around.

o0o

Viktor made use of the early hours while the rink was practically empty. He still hadn't made much progress on his new program.

The skating he had seen last night kept running through his head. He concentrated on the images and tried to emulate the routine. There was just something that was so free about the way the mysterious skater had moved.

He had been so focused, Viktor hadn't noticed the time slipping away. Kids had started to turn up for their evening lessons. That meant that it had to be at least 4 o'clock now. He had been skating for 8 hours.

Viktor decides it's time to call it a day. He headed towards the exit of the ice, almost skated into the boards when he spotted him. He was sure that the man handing out skates to the kids is the same skater he saw last night. Viktor may have been too far away to see facial features but there was no mistaking it was him. The glasses on his face threw him off for a second but he was even wearing the same outfit.

Putting on his skate guards while sneaking glances towards where the man stood. So the mysterious skater worked at the rink. It made sense why he only skated freely at closing time. Viktor spotted Yuuko as she walked up to the man. He could overhear them conversing in Japanese.

Did the man only speak Japanese? It had never occurred to him till now that the mysterious skater might not speak any English. They were in the Japan countryside so it wasn't uncommon for people not to feel the need to speak multiple languages.

Viktor would really like to speak to the Japanese skater. It would be a lot harder if there was a language barrier.

There was something about him that he was drawn to. Hopefully, the mysterious skater would turn up again tomorrow.

That night when Viktor gets back to Yu-topia, he researches Japanese phrases on his phone. He made a note to pick up a book on his way to the rink the next morning.

.0.

Same as before, the mysterious skater didn't show up till around four. Once Viktor spotted the man arrive, he got off the ice and attempted to approach him in conversation. "Kon'nichiwa." Viktor greeted to get his attention. The man turned around and looked at him, he was met with deep brown eyes.

"Goyouken wa? (How may I help you?) The man who stood shyly in front of him unaware of how beautiful he was.

Viktor did not understand what the man had just said to him. He decided to just try and say the phrase that he had practiced last night. "Ana-ti na suit shi-tie no -deso?" He stumbles over the unfamiliar phrase. Knowing he had completely butchered the words, Viktor reverted back to English. "I give up."

"I know it can be hard for people to get the pronunciation right when they are just starting out," The man responds in fluent English. "That's actually pronounced Anata ni tsuite shirito nodesu. (I want to get to know you)" Yuuri was so busy correcting the man's grammar he didn't process what the man was asking till he said it out loud. "Oh!"

"You speak English so well?" Viktor exclaimed in surprise. Even his voice was ideal; gentle and calm.

"Yeah well, I went to University in the US." The man responded with a blush as he adjusted his glasses.

"What's your name?" Viktor inquired keenly. He could see that the man was wearing a name tag but it was written in Japanese symbols so he couldn't read it.

"I'm Yuuri- Yuuri Katsuki. What's your name?" The younger man asked in return.

Viktor really wanted to give his real name but that would break his cover. "It's Nikolai Stepanov."

"I can tell you aren't from around here. Where are you from?" Yuuri asked curiously.

"I'm actually from Russia." Viktor felt no reason to lie about that. His accent gave him away anyways. "St. Petersburg to be more exact."

"I've only seen pictures," Yuuri replied with a shrug."What brought you to Hasetsu?"

"Vacation," Viktor replied semi-truthfully. He couldn't exactly just say he was hiding.

"It is a weird choice for a foreigner to pick. We usually only get city dwellers." Yuuri commented curiously.

"I've seen other parts of Japan before and wanted a more authentic experience," Viktor explained how he ended up here instead of one of the big cities.

"Yuuri!" Could be heard being yelled. Looking over Viktor could see Yuuko gesturing surrounding by a group of children.

"I have to go. I'm teaching the next skating class." Yuuri said sheepishly. "It was nice talking to you." Politely excused himself. He skated over to where a group of children and parents were waiting just off the ice.

Viktor remembered when he used to be so excited by skating. He hoped this trip would reignite his love for the sport. Once the kids were on the ice, Viktor decided to head back to the inn.

.o.

Over the next few days Viktor was able to talk to Yuuri a couple more times. He was able to wrestle a couple personal things about the skater. Like the fact that Yuuri had been born in Hasetsu, had gone to the US for college to get a degree in languages, and had come back after he'd graduated to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. It wasn't much but it was progress.

It was hard for him to comprehend that Yuuri was the same skater he had seen the first night he had arrived here. Yuuri tended to hide behind his glasses. Viktor had realized that the man didn't have much confidence in himself. It was hard for him to comprehend why this would be. From what he could see Yuuri was a very talented skater. He also wasn't bad in the looks department either.

Viktor would like to prove to Yuuri that he had nothing to feel self-conscious about.

.

It was the weekend so Viktor decided to take the time off. The rink was busy with kids so he wouldn't be able to have the ice to himself anyways. That also meant that Yuuri would be busy all day. It had been so long since Viktor had been able to actually take the weekend off.

Viktor slept in for once till nine. For someone who usually woke up before the sun rose it was a big deal. After hanging around the onsen for a while Viktor got bored. That was the thing, when he was always busy he tended to forget just how dull doing nothing was.

He decided to take Makkachin for a walk. They ended up heading down to the beach. His dog ran ahead of him as Viktor walked barefoot on the sand. The beach stretched along the coastline. Sitting down in the sand and watched the water go in and out. It was mesmerising to look at the sun reflecting off the water.

They had beaches in Russia but they were nothing like this. White sand beaches and turquoise waters. Even though they were still in the Pacific Ocean, currently they were much further south so the water was much warmer. It was still too early to actually swim in the water.

Realizing Viktor had the beach all to himself, it was very private. The waves gave him a idea. Viktor wanted to replicate the push and pull of the water in a routine. He stood up and started to try out a couple moves on the sand. At least if he fell here he would have a soft landing.

Makkachin tilted his head as he watched his owner jump around.

...

It had grown late before Viktor had realized. The sun was much lower in the sky. He had grown tired of dancing and decided to just sit and watch the water again. Hearing approaching footsteps, Viktor looked over curiously because he hadn't seen another soul since he came down to the beach.

"Nicolai, is that you?" Yuuri asked as he approached.

It took a second for Viktor to remember that was his name. "Yes, what are you doing here?"

"I enjoy going for walks on the beach," Yuuri answered casually.

"I can see why," Viktor replied as he looked towards the water.

"No matter how many times I come here it takes my breath away." Yuuri stared as they both looked at the ocean.

Viktor couldn't help taking a look at Yuuri while he was distracted. The light played off the lenses of his glasses and made his black hair have brown highlights. "I thought you were teaching?" Viktor inquired curiously.

"I was. Skating lessons end by six on the weekends so that the children can be home for dinner." Yuuri replied casually.

"Does that mean the rink is empty now?" Viktor asked with excitement. Even though it had been less than a day he still missed being on the ice already.

"Not likely. It's free-skate now." Yuuri informed him of their weekend schedule. The rink was much busier on the weekends. There wasn't much to do in Hasetsu so the rink was a popular destination for parents to bring their kids to. He noticed the Russians disappointed look. "Doesn't mean you can't use it too."

"I wouldn't be able to do any jumps without worrying about injuring someone," Viktor said with regret. "Who says you have to do jumps to enjoy skating," Yuuri said in response.

.

Viktor hadn't gone skating for skating sake in years. Now when he thought of skating; spins and jumps came to mind. His idea of what going skating was so different from the majority of people. Their skates never even leaving the ice.

Yuuko allowed him to bring his dog inside the rink. Makkachin enjoyed the attention of all the children. Receiving pats and scratches. Many of the parents just stood around the edges watching their children with a warm beverage in hand.

He sedately skated around the edge of the rink with everyone else. It was nice to not have to perform any jumps or have his coach yelling at him. To still be connected to the ice but not have any expectations put on his shoulders.

He could see Yuuri ahead helping some of the children with their skating even though he was off the clock. Viktor could tell that the younger man really enjoyed what he was doing. He knew that Yuuri could be so much more though.

o0o

Viktor was glad when the weekend was over because he could have the ice all to himself again.

He placed his ear buds in and skated some warm up laps around the rink. He put his IPod on shuffle so that he could find a song that matched the idea he came up with while at the beach on the weekend. He came across a few contenders.

...

Instead of heading straight for the showers when Viktor got back to Yu-topia, he ended up collapsing in bed for a nap. He was both physically and emotionally exhausted. He had placed his wig on the stand he kept in a cupboard so it wouldn't be discovered if someone came in to clean his room.

When he opened his eyes Viktor realised he had been out for a good 4 hours. The clock read eight o'clock. After sitting up Viktor realized he was hungry and he stunk. Maybe falling asleep in his skating clothes wasn't the best idea.

Deciding what was more important first. Taking another sniff, Viktor decided he better wash himself first before he interacted with other people. Still half asleep he headed to the washing area with a towel wrapped around his head.

He quickly washed himself with the hand held and a new bar of soap. Making sure to wash his hair while he had the chance. Wigs were not meant to be worn for such a long amount of time.

Once Viktor was finished he wrapped his head with a towel to hide his natural hair just in case someone walked in. Deciding that food could wait for now, Viktor headed into the hot spring for a soak. The hot water felt amazing on his sore muscles. Staying in the spring as long as possible. He knew you should exceed more than half an hour.

It wasn't until Viktor went to get dressed that he realized he had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. Shrugging, Viktor threw on one of the onsen's robes that were provided for guests. Blow drying his hair so that it would be dry when he put the wig back on.

.

On his way back to his room he ran into Hiroko. "I expected to see you for dinner a lot earlier."

"I decided to take a nap today," Viktor explained, she told him that dinner was ready if he wanted to eat now. "I'm not dressed yet." Viktor pointed out.

"Everyone always walks around in just their robes," Hiroko assured him.

"If you're sure." Viktor followed her to the eating area. He sat down and another delicious meal was placed in front of him. He started to eat graciously.

There was the sound of the door opening and closing. "Tadaima!" (I'm home)

"Oh, our son must be home," Hiroko commented before turning around a greeting. "Okaeri nasai." (Welcome home)

Viktor turned around to introduce himself only to see a familiar face. It was a shock to be looking at Yuuri again so soon after just leaving him not long ago. "It really is a small town. What a coincidence. "

"Do you two know each other?" Hiroko asked noticing the shocked expressions.

"We met at the Ice Castle," Yuuri answered his mother.

"Oh, that would make sense. You asked for directions the first day you arrived." Hiroko commented to their guest.

"I did," Viktor replied back. "You never mentioned that was where your son worked." He was embarrassed to be caught by Yuuri in just a robe.

"I didn't think to mention it at the time," Hiroko turned her attention to her. "Kufukudesu ka, hachimitsu?" ( _Would you like anything to eat, honey?_ )

"Hai, onegaishimasu."( _Yes, thank you_ ) Yuuri replied to his mother who headed back to the kitchen in response. He sat down across from the foreigner. Yuuri was so glad that Nikolai couldn't understand that last part his mother said.

"I didn't know your parents were the ones who ran this onsen," Viktor commented as they waited for their food. He should have known because of the last names. He didn't know if Katsuki was a common last name in Japan or not.

"Yeah, they inherited it from my grandparents when I was really young. To my memory, they have always run it." Yuuri replied.

"It would be a really great place to grow up. With guests traveling from all around the world. Never without company." Victor remarked musingly. "It would be way better than the lonely house I grew up with."

"Why was it lonely?" Yuuri asked and then blushed. He had just recently met the Russian and already he was asking him personal questions.

"It was just my mother and I after the divorce. My father moved away when I was really young and I never had any siblings," Viktor explained what he meant. "She was always working so was unable to come to any of my events."

"That would be lonely. I don't know what I would do without Mari." Yuuri contemplated out loud.

"It must be nice having a real family," Viktor pondered out loud. "I had to make my own."

Yuuri was going to inquire about more information but his mother came out of the kitchen.

She placed the meal in front of Yuuri and said "Wasurenaide bakuha shimasu sono-jo. Atsuidesu." ( _Don't forget to blow on it. It's hot_ )

His face flushed because his mother still tended to treat him like a child sometimes. Yuuri glanced at the Russian and didn't see any reaction. 'So glad that he couldn't understand,' Yuuri thought with a blush as he started to eat.

It amazed Viktor that Yuuri actually lived at Yu-topia. His room was just down the hall. Viktor wasn't sure how they hadn't run into each other till now.

Yuuri thought it must have been because of their conflicting schedules. Since Yuuri worked in the evenings, he always slept in. While Viktor got up early and then collapsed into bed at a reasonable time from exhaustion.

o0o

Viktor was very satisfied with his progress that day. He had finally chosen a song for his short program so he could finalize his choreography. Viktor listened to _Empire by Of Monsters and Men_ with his ear buds in. The way the song talked about the ocean and mountains made him think of Japan. It was different than any song he had chosen before.

The time had passed very quickly and before he knew it Yuuri had arrived for work.

Instead of immediately heading back to the onsen once the skating classes had started, Viktor decided to stick around and watch. Yuuri was very patient with the children. Even though some of them could be rowdy, he would just calmly state that they couldn't move on till they behaved. When the rest of the children looked at the kid he would straighten up.

The first class was only one hour long. Yuuri escorted all the children off the ice in an orderly fashion and got them back to their waiting parents.

Once all the children had left Yuuri headed back towards the rink area to set up for his next class. He noticed a head of brown hair sitting on one of the benches around the rink. "I'm surprised you're still here." Yuuri came to sit on the bench beside him.

"I wanted to watch you teach," Viktor replied thoughtfully."You are very patient with them."

"Well, they are just children. They're fine as long as they are entertained." Yuuri stated, then took a sip of his water bottle. Leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed to rest for a second.

"Did you ever skate professionally?" Viktor inquired curiously. He had been dying to ask the question but had been waiting until they had become better acquainted.

"I tried to enter juniors but I never got very far," Yuuri replied sadly. "I never got further than domestic competitions."

"What held you back?" Viktor asked. He knew the younger man definitely had the talent to make it so there must be something else.

"My anxiety," Yuuri revealed with remorse.

"You have stage fright." Viktor nodded in understanding. It was common among the performance arts to get nervous in front of the crowds. Sometimes even the most talented person could freeze up when having the attention of so many people.

"Yes, which is detrimental to a skater's career. Before every competition, I became a wreck," Yuuri said with a sigh. "I would hardly eat or sleep. By the time it was my turn on the ice my legs would be shaking."

Viktor wished he could understand personally but he had never experienced that problem himself. He flourished under the attention of others.

"After a season of struggling through that, I decided to drop out. I left my coach but still stayed in Detroit to finish my diploma. Once I graduated I came back home to figure out what I was going to do with my life." Yuuri explained.

"And you decided to become a skating teacher?" Viktor asked since he knew that was what Yuri was doing now.

"I kind of just fell into it really." Yuuri shrugged. "I reconnected with Yuuko, who had just started working at the rink after having her triplets, and she told me about the opening of the skating teacher."

They sat in companionable silence for a bit.

"When's your next class?" Viktor asked breaking the silence. He knew the Japanese skater had three sessions in the evening. Each time slot was a different age group.

"Not for another hour. Why?" Yuuri opened one eye to look at the Russian.

"That means the ice is free," Viktor stood up with excitement. He quickly took off his skate guards and then opened the door. Pushing out onto the ice, then Viktor turned around to look back at Yuuri. "Well, are you coming?"

"I guess." Yuuri removed his skate guards at a more sedate pace. He never took his glasses off while he was teaching because he had to see what they were doing. Now that he was actually going to skate he removed them so he wouldn't risk breaking them.

It was the first time Viktor had been able to see the Japanese skater up-close without the frames covering half his face. Yuuri looked much different without his glasses. His eyes were a lot smaller and he had to squint to see some things. His face looked much more mature.

Viktor performed a few twirls around the rink. When he looked back to see what Yuuri was doing he realized the other man wasn't just skating but doing footwork. It looked really complicated to.

Footwork had never been the basis of his routines. Viktor had always concentrated more on the jumps that earned the big points. He started to copy what Yuuri was doing. Viktor received an amused smile for his attempt.

Yuuri suddenly started to pick up the pace in challenge.

Viktor tried to keep up but ended up tripping over his own feet. Unable to stop his forward motion he fell to his hands and knees.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" Yuuri quickly skated over with worry in his tone.

Viktor climbed back to his feet and let out a laugh. He was a 5-time world champion but he couldn't keep up with a man that dropped out of juniors.

.o.

Viktor thinks he overdid it that day. After eight hours of practice and then another hour of fooling around on the ice with Yuuri, his body was killing him. He wasn't as young as he used to be.

The hot water of the hot spring was helping a little to soothe his sore muscles.

"Oh, I didn't realize someone was already in here." Yuuri quickly turned around. "I know that some foreign quests don't feel comfortable sharing the hot spring."

"It's fine. I am totally confident with my body." Viktor reassured, glad that he had made sure to cover his hair with a towel.

"If you're sure," Yuuri said, removing his glasses and placing them on a rock for safe keeping. Taking off his robe it revealed that he was wearing a small towel tied around his waist.

It was then that Viktor realized he was totally naked under the water. To save some of his modesty Viktor quickly snatched the towel he had placed the edge of the spring. Placing it over his lap before Yuuri could notice.

Yuuri stepped into the water calmly then slowly immersing his body halfway, he waited another moment before letting himself sink up to his shoulders with a sigh of contentment. "Aw, the perks of living at an onsen."

"They are heaven on the sore muscles. I would spend hours in here a day if I lived here." Viktor claimed.

"After just an hour, your more than likely going to faint," Yuuri explained with a giggle. "Your blood pressure would rise and you would lose consciousness."

"I know that. I was embellishing." Viktor stated. On the first day he had arrived, Yuuri's mother had made clear the dangers of staying in the water too long.

Viktor cursed when he realized he was stuck more than half naked with his crush now. A blush spread across his face when he took a peek at Yuuri's chest that was sticking out of the water. His skin looked so soft and hairless.

"Are you ok? Your face looks a little pink," Yuuri squinted towards him since he wasn't wearing his glasses. He could see well enough to ell that the Russian's face had turned a little pink."Have you been in the water too long already?"

"That must be it," Viktor replied even though he knew it was just because he was blushing. "I'm going to get out." Slowly he got out of the water, making sure to keep the cloth in front of his crotch.

"I'll come with you." When Yuuri stood up the water dripped off his body.

A dripping wet Yuuri was absolutely too much for him to handle. Viktor tried to avoid looking towards the Japanese man until he dried off and put his robe on. He couldn't help taking a few peaks though; Yuuri definitely had skater's thighs.

o0o

Viktor got up at 6 like usual the next morning. The only other occupant who was awake at that time was Mari because she had to get the onsen ready for the other guests. They had become friendly with each other from their early morning talks.

When Viktor was on his way out the door to the rink Mari asked to talk to him. "What's this about?"

"So what do you want to do?" Mari asked from the front desk.

"What do you mean?" Viktor replied in confusion what she meant.

"It's almost been three weeks. Do you want me to start charging you weekly or are you leaving anytime soon?" Mari asked as she looked away from the computer screen.

Had he really been in Japan that long? Viktor had originally thought that the time would crawl along and by the point three weeks had passed he would be dying to go home. Instead it had gone by superfast and Viktor was starting to get really comfortable here.

Truthfully he wasn't ready to leave. He was just starting to get to know Yuuri. He was finally making some progress on his programs. "Better charge me weekly because I'm not going anywhere soon," Viktor replied.

 **...TBC**


	3. Level 3

Here is chapter 3.

* * *

 **Skate Like No One Is Watching**

 **Level 3**

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Even with his ear-buds in, Viktor could hear someone call the name Nicolai. He just ignored it and continued to skate. Until he heard it called directly beside him. "Nicolai!" Viktor took out his earbuds and looked into brown eyes.

"Finally," Yuuri stated, with a sigh of amusement. "I kept calling your name and getting no reaction."

"Sorry, I was just really focused," Viktor apologized, he was concentrating so hard on skating he had forgotten his fake name. He hadn't realized it had grown so late.

"That's ok. You can help me set these up?" Yuuri handed the Russian half the set of pylons he was carrying. Viktor accepted the cones. They each placed a line of pylons a meter apart for the kids to skate around.

"So do you just teach basic skating or do you go into more advanced moves with the older kids?" Viktor asked curiously.

"I will if a kid requests to be taught how to perform a jump. I'll ask permission from their parents first of course." Yuuri answered with a shrug. It didn't happen very often. Most children just wanted to know enough to not fall.

"Do you still figure skate often?" Viktor asked even though he already knew. It was just a way for him to get Yuuri to open up about the topic.

"I do," Yuuri answered warily. "I just don't like to skate in front of people anymore."

"So when do you skate?" Viktor asked pryingly.

"I usually take the chance once the rink is closed," Yuuri answered truthfully.

"Can I watch?" Viktor asked eagerly.

"Aw," Yuuri looked up with surprise. He had seen Nikolai figure skate before and he had a lot of talent. Yuuri wasn't sure why he would want to watch him. "You want to?"

"Of course I do!" Viktor replied eagerly. He really hoped that Yuuri would say yes.

While continuing to set up, Yuuri had a thoughtful expression on his face. He hadn't had anyone new watch him figure skate in a long time. It was usually only family or really close friends. Yuuri had come to think of Nikolai as a friend. It couldn't hurt to have just him come.

The children had already started to arrive for the first lesson. Yuuri turned and looked at Nikolai's sincere expression and made his decision. "If you come back after classes are finished, I'll let you see me skate."

"I'll be here." Viktor nodded eagerly and left the ice so that Yuuri could start class. He headed back to the onsen to get something to eat and maybe have a nap.

The first thing Viktor did when he got back was have a shower. Skating for hours on end built up a sweat. He rinsed himself in the shower room but had to wait for another patron to leave before he could wash his hair. Viktor debated having a soak in the hot spring but he was too tired right now.

Viktor set his alarm for 7 o'clock and laid down on the bed. Makkachin and Vicchan crawled in beside him. It didn't take him long to slip into sleep.

When the alarm went off both Viktor and the dogs were jolted out of sleep. It was a good thing he set the alarm because Viktor felt like he would have slept till morning otherwise. Quickly he threw on some clean clothes to skate in. He grabbed some dinner before heading out. The sun was low in the sky as he walked to the rink.

When Viktor showed up at the Ice Castle, once again many of the lights were turned off. There were just enough to be able to see to clean. He entered through the main door and immediately started to head back to the ice rink area.

When Yuuko spotted him she ran over to stop him from entering the main rink area. She stood in front of him with her arms open. "Yuuri's skating and he doesn't really like others watching."

"It's alright. I invited him." Yuuri assured her. Overheard her warning as he approached the entrance to meet with Nikolai. The man had sent a text to say that he was on his way.

"Oh, that's different than," Yuuko dropped her hands and returned to closing up the skate kiosk for the night. She gave Yuuri a look that said 'she wanted an explanation later' on her way past.

"Sorry, she's just trying to be a good friend," Yuuri apologized for her actions. He should have warned Yuuko ahead of time that he had invited someone to actually come watch. It was usually a welcome act for her to lead people away from the rink.

"It's ok," Viktor waved off the apology because there was no need for it. "It's good that you have such a loyal friend."

"We've known each other forever. Anyway, skating?" Yuuri said awkwardly to get back on topic. Gesturing behind him to ice.

"Of course," Viktor said brightly. He started to head straight towards the rink.

"Don't you want to grab your skates?" Yuuri gestured towards the locker room.

"Not this time. I just want to watch you," Viktor shook his head and stood by the edge of the rink. Where just a couple of the overhead lights were on.

"If that's what you want," Yuuri took off his skate guards and glasses. Opening the door he skated to the center of the ice. "Press play on the iPod."

Viktor saw the iPod was connected to a speaker. When he pressed the play button a _Mumford and Son_ song started to play. It wasn't a tune that was easy to skate to. "Should I change it?"

"Just leave it on. The song picks up eventually," Yuuri asked, he started to do some drills to the music. The beginning of the song _Only Love_ had a sedate pace for the first few verses. It was enough time for him to warm up so that he wouldn't hurt himself.

It didn't start to pick up till the second half of the song. When the chorus started Yuuri threw himself into a triple axel jump. He picked up his speed and performed a couple jumps and spins in a short amount of time.

When the music faded out Yuuri stood in an ending pose in the center of the rink. Blushing when he realized that Nikolai was clapping. He had gotten a little too much into the song and had actually forgotten that the Russian had been watching. It was good to see that he could still skate in front of other people without becoming a mess.

The next song started to play on his playlist; it was _Lionheart by Demi Lovato_. Yuuri blushed at having such a feminine artist on his iPod. He just really liked the song.

Viktor watched as Yuuri skated sedately to the first verse to get familiar with the track. Once the music picked up he moved into a spin then transitioned into a leap. He thought this song had a much better pace for skating. It started slow and then started to pick up the pace a lot quicker.

This song required more hand movements that were feminine in nature. A lot of male skaters had problems breaking sexual barriers, Yuuri did not seem to have that problem. The Japanese skater gracefully arched his back and stretched his arms out as if reaching for a partner.

You could tell that Yuuri was just skating whatever felt right.

Once again it seemed like he was making the music. It was as captivating as Viktor remembered.

...

Viktor had asked if he could come again but he actually wanted to skate with Yuuri this time.

He showed up just as Yuuri was wrapping up his last skating class. Viktor went to the locker room to put his own skates on. By the time he entered the rink again most of the children had already left with their parents. Viktor sat on a bench to wait for Yuuri to finish with work.

"You're early," Yuuri said when he came back over.

"I was just so eager I couldn't wait," Viktor replied as he stood up.

Yuuri gave him an unsure look. "It's just skating together."

"Exactly," Viktor replied as he pushed out onto the ice. After removing his skate guards Yuuri followed him out. Viktor pressed the play button on the iPod again.

They both skated around performing different figure skating moves to the music. The tone changed sporadically as it went through the playlist that Yuuri had made.

Viktor watched as Yuuri performed an arabesque. "I noticed that you perform a lot of the moves that have their origin from classical dance." He stated his observation.

"Yeah, I've taken ballet class since I was a child," Yuuri said with a fond smile. "I still go to Minako's dance studio to blow off some steam."

Viktor remembered meeting the woman while she was drinking at Yu-topia. He didn't realize she was a ballet teacher."When figure skating didn't pan out, why didn't you become a dancer?" Viktor asked curiously.

"Dancing has always come easily to me," Yuuri shrugged while he thought about his answer to the question. "I think I got into figure skating because it presented a challenge."

"I got into figure skating because it was a lot more interesting than regular dancing," Viktor shared his reasoning. His strict Russian dance teacher used to always yell at him for getting distracted. Really he had just become bored. "Skating feels like you're flying."

"I don't think I could ever go back to just being a dancer after feeling the rush of performing an axel and landing it," Yuuri said with fondness.

"I understand exactly what you mean," Viktor said with a smile on his face. It was always nice talking to someone who understood you on an emotional level.

"Minako always begged me to join Japans ballet company but it just wouldn't bring me the joy that figure skating would have," Yuuri contemplated out loud. "Also, I don't think I could have handled performing in front of theaters full of people multiple times a day."

In figure skating, you were only expected to skate a handful of times in front of large crowds compared to dancers. Viktor could see why that would be a more appealing option for someone who was nervous in front of crowds.

A song came on the iPod that Viktor actually knew. He tried to create a quick routine in his head to Be _Somebody by Kings of Leon_. He started off slow with a step sequence and a couple spins. When it started to pick up he performed a Salchow.

Yuuri stood off to the side to watch him perform. Viktor wanted to impress him so he decided to do a quadruple Lutz.

When he tried to land it his foot was shaky and he pitched forward. He almost hit the ice but managed to recover at the last second. "That was close." Viktor jested as he came to a stop in front of the Japanese skater, who had a shocked expression on his face. "Yuuri, what is it?"

Instead of saying anything, Yuuri skated over and picked something up off the ice. Holding out the item for him to see. When Viktor realized what it was, his hand immediately shot up to check his head. His wig had fallen off in the almost fall.

"Viktor Nikiforov?" Yuuri said with disbelief in his tone. Even after he stopped watching figure skating a few years ago he could immediately recognize his childhood idol because the hair was unmistakable even with the brown eyes. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere." It had been so long since he had seen his Viktor Nikiforov's face. He had put all his posters of the skater away because every time he looked at them he felt like a failure.

"I guess there is no point in denying my identity," Viktor said with embarrassment. His silver-blond hair colour was very distinct.

"What are you doing here in Hasetsu?" Yuuri inquired suspiciously.

"I was having trouble coming up with a new routine for this season and needed to get away for a bit," Viktor answered simply.

"Why here though?" Yuuri asked incredulously. They were far away from any of the places tourists usually liked to come to. No one from another country ever dreamed of coming to Hasetsu.

"I don't know. I saw a commercial on TV that was talking about how great the hot spring are in Japan," Viktor shrugged, not really knowing himself.

"You came all the way here because of a commercial?" Yuuri asked with disbelief in his tone.

"When you put it that way, I guess I did," Viktor remarked with a light laugh. He realized the seriousness of the situation when he saw Yuuri's overcome face. "Are we okay?" Viktor asked cautiously.

"I need some time to think." Yuuri handed him the wig. Skating away hastily and heading off the ice.

Viktor watched the Japanese skater leave with a sinking feeling. He was worried that Yuuri was really angry with him. He didn't want his new friendship to be damaged. Viktor was just enjoyed getting to know a lot more about the mysterious skater he had seen the first night he arrived.

Without realizing it, Viktor had ended up crumpling the wig in his hands.

...

Yuuri decided to go for a walk to clear his head. He let his feet lead him. Somehow he ended up walking along the beach. Yuuri remembered the conversation he had with Nikolai here a couple days ago.

Sorry, Viktor Nikiforov - he had to correct himself. Nikolai Stepanov the flight attendant didn't actually exist.

Yuuri wasn't mad that Viktor Nikiforov had come to Hasetsu, he was just upset that he lied about his identity in the first place. Yuuri thought he was getting to know his new friend when they talked between skating. Everything Nikolai had told him personally about himself had been a lie in some shape or form.

The man was actually a world famous figure skater. Not just any figure skater either- his childhood idol Viktor Nikiforov- who had inspired him to start figure skating himself.

Yuuri was amazed that his childhood hero was here. He had been spending time with him without even knowing it. He knew that Viktor didn't mean to deceive him. He had just wanted to get away from all the attention for a bit.

It wasn't just Yuuri that had been lied to though. No one else seemed to know that Viktor was here. The last information he had heard about the skater was that his coach had said he went on vacation. It was probably because he didn't know where Viktor was.

The sun finished going down and all the street lights turned on. He decided to head back towards home. When he got back to Yu-topia he found Viktor sitting on the steps with a nervous expression. Yuuri made the decision right then to give Viktor a chance.

"Well, can I see them?" Yuuri asked to break the ice.

"See what?" Viktor asked with confusion.

"The golden skates of course," Yuuri replied casually.

Viktor broke out into a bright smile because he knew everything was ok between them.

o0o

Once Yuuri discovered his identity, Viktor didn't feel like he needed to hide it any longer. The next morning he didn't bother putting the wig on or the contacts in. It was time to stop hiding behind a fake persona and be himself. It was getting tiring anyway.

When Viktor showed up to breakfast the next morning Yuuri's parents showed little reaction to his change of hair colour. Mrs. Katsuki just placed his meal in front of him like everything was normal.

"Don't you notice anything that's different?" Viktor asked with confusion.

"Oh yes, you finally stopped wearing that wig," Hiroko stated like it was nothing. "Does that mean we can call you by your real name now?"

"How...?" Viktor looked between the two.

"You don't think we wouldn't recognize your face after all the years of our son having your picture posted on his walls?" Toshiya stated with a laugh at the end.

"Everyone always told me my hair colour is my most defining feature," Viktor said with a shrug.

"It is a fine colour but your face is striking too." Hiroko complimented him.

Viktor finished his meal and headed to the rink. On his way out he spotted Mari having her morning cigarette in the garden. She just smirked when seeing his natural hair.

"Did you know too?" Viktor asked with suspicion.

Mari blew out a puff of smoke before speaking. "Your dog gave you away."

"How?" Viktor asked taken aback.

"You changed your name but kept his name the same," Mari answered in an exasperated tone. "Who else would have a poodle named Makkachin? It isn't even a real name." She remembered the name distinctly because her brother kept mentioning it when Yuuri was begging for a dog of his own.

Viktor frowned when his naming skills were insulted. "Makkachin is a name." If this was what it was like having a sister he was glad he was an only child.

"Oh yeah! What does it mean?" Mari asked self-assuredly.

Viktor just walked away instead of answering. So he made the name for his dog up. He never thought about that fact when he decided to bring her along.

...

Knowing that Yuuko followed figure skating, Viktor knew he would have to talk to her about his real identity. If she suddenly saw _The Viktor Nikiforov_ skating at her rink with no explanation, Yuuko was more than likely going to post about it on social media. He approached the skating kiosk with an open smile on his face.

When Yuuko saw him without his wig she squealed. "Viktor Nikiforov! I can't believe you're here," She said with disbelief. Looking closer at his face she realized something. "Wait, aren't you the Stepanov guy who has been hanging around here?"

"Yes and yes," Viktor replied in agreement to both.

"I heard you were on vacation," Yuko stated, holding up a skating magazine that had a picture of him on the cover. There was a headline in the corner that said _**Where has Nikiforov disappeared to?**_ and another one speculating if he was retiring.

"I guess I am," Viktor replied since he knew Yakov would have to come up with an excuse for his absence. It wasn't unheard of for skaters to take some personal time in the offseason.

"You can't tell anyone that I'm here," Viktor requested. "No posting about my presence here on social media."

"I promise, but what about Yuuri?" Yuko said with uncertainty. It was one thing lying to the public, it was another thing lying to a friend.

"He already knows," Viktor replied with a shrug.

Yuuko had seen the man constantly hanging off of Yuuri. Who must be freaking out now that he knows he's been hanging out with _The Viktor Nikiforov_. She was never going to let Yuuri hear the end of this.

"Why are you practicing at the Ice Castle? Not that I'm complaining." Yuuko asked bursting with curiosity. When she had seen Nikolai skating for hours on end practicing figure skating she had been wondering what his reason was.

"Just felt like getting away for a bit," Viktor answered with a shrug. "I'm going to skate like I normally do." He excused himself and headed to the changing room.

...

It was a little awkward when Yuuri showed up for work. They didn't know how to act around each other now.

Viktor wasn't sure if the Japanese skater was mad at him or not. It seemed like he had been forgiven for lying about his identity but you can never know what a person is actually thinking. He noticed that Yuuri seemed to tense up when he approached him.

Yuuri's heart started to beat faster and faster as Viktor got closer to him. He had thought Nikolai was very handsome but Viktor with his natural silver- blond hair and blue eyes were gorgeous. Frantically Yuuri looked away when he realized he was staring.

Usually, they were able to comfortably have a conversation together. He tried to speak but the words got stuck in his throat. Yuuri had always imagined what he would say to Viktor Nikiforov if he ever met him but was drawing a blank now.

"Um- I..." Yuuri kept stuttering when he talked to Viktor.

"Just talk to me the way you did before," Viktor begged. He had really enjoyed the conversation they had been having. His parents had mentioned that Yuuri had posters of him on his wall so he must be a fan.

"I-I think I'm just nervous." Yuuri let out a breath.

Other than my occupation and my name, everything I told you as Nikolai Stepanov was really me."

"Don't think of me as the Viktor Nikiforov. Other than my occupation and my name, everything I told you as Nikolai Stepanov was really me." He implored to the Japanese skater. Viktor had enough fans who became star struck when they met him, he didn't have enough friends to hang out with. "I'm just plain old Viktor."

"I wouldn't consider anything about you plain," Yuuri said as he looked at the tall skater.

"Oh really. Do you think I'm gorgeous?" Viktor teased the Japanese skater.

"Your very proportionate," Yuuri blushed deeply when he realized what he had just said.

"You're very proportionate too," Viktor smiled at the weird compliment.

His youngest class started to show up. "I have to go." Yuuri was glad for the excuse to make his escape. He had been making a fool out of himself.

Yuuri skated to the boards where the kids were lining up. Blue, purple, and pink blurs rushed up to Yuuri and started asking questions all at once. Since Yuuko was such a big figure skating fan her children had inherited the interest. They all immediately started to fire off questions.

"Is Viktor Nikiforov really in Hasetsu?

"Is he really staying at Yu-topia?"

"Can I have his autograph?"

"There he is!" Lutz pointed with excitement. Her sister Axel pulled out a smart phone and immediately started to film the world famous skater.

Yuuri confiscated the smart phone. Despite only being 6 the triplets know how to use social media. He was pretty sure that Viktor didn't want his location broadcasted across the internet. Yuuri was going to have to monitor the triplets closely.

 **...TBC**


	4. Level 4

Almost for got to post this today.

* * *

 **Skate Like No One Is Watching**

 **Level 4**

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It took a while for Yuuri and Viktor to get back to the relationship they had before.

After about a week Yuuri started to forget that his Viktor was the world famous _Viktor Nikiforov_. He found himself becoming less and less star struck by his idol. After spending some actual time with the man it had made him realize Viktor was human like everyone else.

Viktor was far from perfect. He was goofy, over dramatic, and vain.

You would think Viktor was completely confident in himself until you hit one of his weak spots. He was self-conscious about his age and his dwindling star power. His thinning hair was a big one; Yuuri had caught onto that fact quickly.

When Yuuri finished teaching for the evening he found Viktor waiting for him at the boards.

"Do you want to skate with me?" Viktor asked anxiously. He still wasn't sure where he stood with the Japanese skater.

"Let me just put these away," Yuuri answered as he held up the pylons, Viktor plucked half the cones from his hands and helped him put them away in the storage room.

They ended up skating to the music Yuuri had on his phone. At separate ends of the rink, they did their own thing.

Eventually, Yuuri got so into the song that he forgot he wasn't alone. It wasn't until he came out of a spin at the end of the song that Yuuri realized that Viktor had stopped skating to watch him.

"You're a really good figure skater." Viktor complimented, he could watch Yuuri skate all day.

"I'm just average." Yuuri denied skeptically. He never knew how to take a compliment properly.

"I'm a five-time world champion. If I say you have a lot of talent, then it must be true." Viktor said positively. He had noticed as soon as Yuuri realized he had been watching, he went from completely confident to nervous.

"You have competed against the best skaters in the world and came out on top, I don't know why you seem to like my skating so much," Yuuri said uncertainly.

"You skate with so much emotion. It's like you create the music with your body. Capturing the attention of the audience so that they can't look away." Viktor said passionately. He knew because that is what Yuuri made him feel when he watched him skate.

"I'm really not that good." Yuuri was uncomfortable with receiving such compliments.

"That's just your self-doubt talking. I don't know what has happened to make you have no confidence in yourself." Viktor stated with curiosity.

Yuuri used to have problems with his weight when he was younger. He had indulged on his mother's cooking a little too much in his youth and his classmates liked to point it out to him. Being called a Piggy by other kids was not good for anyone's self-esteem.

It didn't help that Yuuri felt like he had let himself go lately. He wasn't in the worst shape he had been in his life but it was close. "I'm far from perfect."

"No one is perfect, not even me. I really think that you should try to become a figure skater again." Viktor tried to encourage the Japanese skater.

"What?" Yuuri said with disbelief. He spun around to face the Russian. "I'm far too old for juniors."

"Who said anything about juniors?" Viktor said with a shrug.

"No. I'm 23," Yuuri shook his head so hard he almost made his glasses fall off. "I'm old in figure skater years already."

"Haven't you ever wondered if you had what it takes to win a medal?" Viktor asked.

"Of course I have," Yuuri stated with ambition. It was what he had always dreamed of accomplishing.

"I think you have what it takes," Viktor said with assurance.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," Yuuri said with self-conscious. It was very hard to break into the world of professional figure skating.

You had to meet the ISU's requirements. Maybe Yuuri could compete at an intermediate level domestically. They wouldn't even send him to compete internationally unless he distinguished himself from the competition. Only a limited amount of skaters were sent to represent a country. Not to mention the extravagant coaching fees.

It was making Yuuri anxious just thinking about it. The whole thing just seemed overwhelming.

"All you have to do is go to the qualifiers for Japan," Viktor suggested encouragingly. From what he remembered, one of the Japanese single skaters had just retired so there was a vacancy. "I'll help you."

"How would you do that?" Yuuri asked skeptically.

"I'll act as your coach," Viktor exclaimed with enthusiasm. Suddenly he was super excited about the idea. He could choreograph Yuuri's programs and help him pick out his costumes. Viktor was already planning the whole thing in his head.

"You have to focus on your own season," Yuuri replied, bursting Viktor's bubble.

"You're right, let's just concentrate on getting you qualified to compete before we complicate things," Viktor stated. "If you get accepted then we'll worry about finding you a coach."

"How are you going to do that? I'm sure most of the coaches already have skaters." Yuuri said with disbelief.

"Yuuri, I know everyone in the skating community. I assure you I can find you a coach," Viktor said with sureness. "All they'll have to do is go to competitions with you anyway because I'm going to do most of the work."

"You really want to be my coach?" Yuuri said with disbelief, Viktor nodded enthusiastically. "You really think I can make it?"

"I'm already your fan and I want to share how talented you are with the rest of the world," Viktor said enthusiastically.

With Viktor's endorsement behind him, Yuuri felt a lot more confident. Could he possibly succeed? He would never even contemplate attempting it by himself. With the five-time world champion saying he believed he could do it, Yuuri felt like it was possible.

"Ok," Yuuri was suddenly swept up into the Russian's arms.

"You won't regret it," Viktor said with enthusiasm.

Viktor wanted to start his training as soon as possible. He had warned Yuuri before he went to bed to be prepared to skate the next day.

o0o

Knock-knock!

Opening his eyes Yuuri realized it was still dark outside. Thinking he must have just heard Mari getting up for work, Yuuri rolled over and tried to fall back asleep.

The noise became more insistent. It was then that Yuuri realized someone was knocking on his door. Who the hell would be doing that at, Yuuri glanced over at the clock to see it was only six am.

"Yuuri! Time to get up," He could tell by the accent who the knocker was. When Viktor had said he wanted to start his training, he had not mentioned having to get up before sunrise.

Yuuri had never been a morning person. He always rolled out of bed at the last possible moment before he had to be somewhere. That's why the job teaching skating in the evening suited him so well. He could go to bed as late as he wanted and get up when his body felt rested.

Groaning, Yuuri forced himself out of his warm bed. He stumbled through the dark to open the door.

Viktor was going to knock again when suddenly the door was opened. He regarded Yuuri's appearance; he was wearing a blue shirt that said Ice Castle, sports shorts, had bad bed head, and his feet were bare, and still Viktor found him beautiful.

"Viktor, why are you knocking on my door?" Yuuri asked with drowsiness in his tone.

"Remember what I said last night? Your coaching is beginning." Viktor stated dramatically. He received a blank look. "Skating!"

"Yes, skating. Later," Yuuri went to close the door.

"No, now," Viktor held the door open with his hand. "Get dressed and meet me in the main room for a quick breakfast, then we'll head to the rink."

"Fine," Yuuri agreed reluctantly. He dressed in his practice clothes and made sure to put in his contacts for once. He didn't like wearing them because they made his eyes feel dry. Though it was nice to be able to see where he was going.

Viktor walked into the main room with an amused look on his face.

"Yuuri doesn't function too well in the morning," Mari commented casually as she placed the two servings of grilled fish, steamed rice, and miso soup on the table.

"I can see that," Viktor said with amusement. He had always been a morning person so he didn't understand how some people could wake up in such a mood.

It wasn't long until Yuuri showed up wearing his thermal long sleeved blue shirt and black pants that wouldn't restrict his movements. He shuffled over to the table, sitting down with a sigh. "Why do we need to get up so early?" Yuuri asked as he accepted a cup of coffee from his sister.

"You know that the rink gets busy later in the day," Viktor explained reasonably. He could tell that Yuuri was still groggy from sleep.

"Right," Yuuri tried to be logical. What Viktor said made complete sense. It was going to be hard for him to adjust to this new schedule.

.0.

It was still dark when they arrived at the Ice Castle. Yuuri was surprised that the door was even open. When they got inside only the Zamboni guy and Takeshi was there.

They went into the changing room and got ready. Viktor grabbed his gold skates because he could now. Leaning against the lockers he watched Yuuri lace up his own skates. Together they headed out to the ice.

"Let me see you skate one of your old routines." Viktor requested, he had been watching Yuuri's Junior routines on Youtube and had downloaded many of the songs to have on hand. It was the first time he was asking Yuuri to skate as his coach. He wanted to see what they needed to fix.

Obeying, Yuuri took his position at the center of the ice. He had instructed Viktor to play the track from his highest scoring program. It felt different than when they skated together. There was pressure on his performance this time. He had never performed under pressure very well.

Viktor could tell that Yuuri was nervous as he took his starting position. From the first note of the song, Yuuri was off time. It was a song he had seen the younger skater perform to in a couple different videos online. It wasn't an unfamiliar routine by a long shot.

Yuuri tried to ignore Viktor's presence but it was really hard.

He flubbed the first jump which made him even more nervous. Missing his mark for his sit spin, he didn't have time to perform it before his next move. His timing was already all off and Yuuri had just begun.

Instead of the confident skater Viktor had seen before, Yuuri was fumbling through his routine.

Yuuri skipped a step sequence so that he would be able to perform his next jump with the music. He geared up to take the loop jump and caught a glimpse of Viktor's judging expression. The distraction ruined his landing, sending him sprawling across the ice.

Yuuri decided to just stay down.

The music was turned off and he could hear the sound of skates approaching him. "Are you ok?" Viktor asked as he leaned over him.

"Physically yes," Yuuri replied, blushing in embarrassment. Not only had he managed to not land a single jump properly, Yuuri had done it in front of his idol. He was mortified.

Viktor offered his hand to help him up off the cold ice. Yuuri allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Are you nervous because I'm watching?" Viktor asked thoughtfully. Yuuri had skated in front of him before, why was this time so different.

"I didn't like when I could see your judging expression," Yuuri replied with a shrug.

"I thought you couldn't make out details from a distance without your glasses?" Viktor asked, catching onto the fact that the Japanese skater could make out the face he was making.

"I put my contacts in," Yuuri replied since it was the only thing he could really think of.

That would explain why Viktor hadn't seen Yuuri where his glasses that day yet. "Your short sighted right?" Viktor asked as he was forming a plan in his head.

"Yeah, so?" Yuuri didn't know where the Russian was going with this.

"Well, go take them out," Viktor instructed strongly. He wanted to see if such a small thing could make such a big difference to Yuuri's skating.

"Ok, ok," Yuuri exclaimed as he was rushed off the ice. He put his skate guards on and made his way to the changing room.

Viktor was only left waiting for several minutes before Yuuri came back. He could tell that Yuuri was squinting a little when he was getting back on the ice.

"Try it again," Viktor encouraged. "And skate like I'm not even here."

Yuuri didn't see how he would get a different result. He took his starting position again and Viktor pressed the play button.

Yuuri could still see Viktor watching him but wasn't able to make out any details. He got lost in the music. Yuuri let his feet go through the familiar steps. The step sequence was precise, the spins were tight and controlled, and his jumps were near perfect.

Once Yuuri was finished he held his ending pose. At least this time he had made his way through his routine.

Viktor clapped once Yuuri was finished. "Much better." That was the skater he had been expecting.

"That may have been your problem. Did your coach make you wear contacts during competitions?"

"Yes. Why?" Yuuri asked confused.

"When you wear contacts you're able to make out the faces of the audience," Viktor explained. "With your blurry vision, you're able to focus on what you're doing."

...

"I'm going to help you choreograph a short and long program." Viktor offered eagerly. He had so many ideas bouncing around in his head for the Japanese skater to perform. Who knew that it was so much easier to choreograph for other people.

"Really?" Having a program choreographed by the Viktor Nikiforov was a great honor. As far as Yuuri knew, Viktor had not started to create programs for other skaters yet. He was getting up there in years though so Viktor should be thinking about what he wanted to do after he retired.

There were a few choices that many skaters took once they decided to retire from age or injury. Many became announcers at events, organizers, coaches, choreographer, and skating teachers. He was sure that Viktor would be a great coach. Choreographing programs for other skaters was also a great choice.

"The first thing you need to do is pick a song," Viktor suggested as they got out onto the ice.

"You mean the thing you have been struggling to do for the past month," Yuuri asked sarcastically.

"Yes. Moving on," Viktor ignored the slight. He never told Yuuri that he had chosen songs for his programs. They were both fully formed now which is why he felt comfortable switching his focus onto Yuuri. "Just say something off the top of your head."

"How about Conquest of Spaces by Woodkid?" Yuuri suggested. He had always thought the song would make a great routine.

"Play some of it for me," Viktor asked since he wasn't familiar with the song.

Yuuri grabbed his iPod and scrolled through. Once he found the right track he placed it on the speaker and pressed play.

"It seems a little pretentious for your first skating season," Viktor thought after listening to the first few verses. It was very dramatic and intense. "This is something I could get away skating to after years of competing. It's a little much for your first session."

"How about In the Embers by Sleeping At Last then?" Yuuri tried again. Pressing play on the song.

"Depressing," Viktor stated after listening to the lyrics.

"What! How many depressing songs have you skated to?" Yuuri replied in shock. He could count on both hands the number of songs Viktor had used over the years that had a similar vibe.

"There is a big difference between depressing and haunting," Viktor replied in defense. "You want the audience to leave feeling hope, not just sad."

"It isn't depressing," Yuuri grumbled. He had always really liked the song.

"The first line of the song is _May We Live and Die_ \- It is a song about dying," Viktor replied frankly. "Maybe once you've become more established you can use songs like these."

"It's about what legacy you leave behind after you die," Yuuri frowned at being turned down again. This was why he used to always have his old coach pick his songs. There had always been songs that he would love to skate to but were always pointed out that they wouldn't be well received by the audience.

"I think we need to keep your songs happy. This is the first impression you are presenting of yourself to the skating community," Viktor explained the reason for turning down his choices. He didn't want Yuuri to skate to any more sad music. It was what made Viktor so captivated but he didn't want Yuuri to feel that emotion anymore. This one represented his determination to make it to the top.

"You don't want them to think you're miserable."

Viktor put his own iPod on the speaker because he was more familiar with the selection. It also felt really personable to go through someone else's playlists. Music choices said a lot about a person.

Viktor just wanted to make Yuuri smile so he chose a very upbeat song. "How about this one?" Putting on the song _I Can Only Imagine by David Guetta_. The techno beat started to play.

"No, I couldn't skate to that." Yuuri shook his head. Just listening to the lyrics he knew that the song would require a lot of booty shaking.

"Why not? Look watch me." Viktor turned around and started shaking his butt, completely not being serious. He did a few spins, touching himself in a sexual way and blowing kisses. Truthfully, he felt like he was Christophe Giacometti. By the end of his performance, Yuuri had collapsed from laughter.

"Ok, not that one." Viktor skated to the boards. He scrolled through his iPod for a better option. "How about this?" The music rang out filling the rink.

Yuuri sat up with a thoughtful expression. The song was _Feet Don't Fail Me Now by Foxes_. It wasn't super happy song lyric wise but the beat was pleasant. It represented his nervousness about skating for the first time. "I like it."

"Really? Well, that's one down. Now we have to figure out what you are going use for your long program," Viktor continued to scroll through his iPod for ideas.

o0o

They decided to take a day off from skating and spend some time together looking around Hasetsu.

Hasetsu had many small cute shops. It was a beach town so it catered to city goers who wanted to get away for the weekend. The busy season had just started so now all the seasonal shops were also open. Viktor couldn't help buying souvenirs for all his friends back home in Russia. Maybe if he returned with gifts Yakov wouldn't be too mad at him.

While Viktor shopped Yuuri waited by the front entrance. One of the old shop keeps commenting on how excited his boyfriend was. "He's not my boyfriend." Yuuri tried to explain but the women would not except that they weren't a couple.

When Viktor got to the cash register he had a wide range of items. There was shot glasses, t-shirts, key chains, and even a snow globe. Yuuri wondered why Viktor chose to buy an item for each person. Once Viktor finished paying, he grabbed Yuuri's hand and dragged him out of the shop.

They hit a couple more stores on the way back to Yu-topia. Yuuri blushed when another of the shop keepers asked if Viktor was his boyfriend. It happened multiple times throughout the day.

Viktor made a note to look up whatkareshi ( _boyfriend_ ) meant when they got back to the onsen.

It had grown late so they headed back to Yu-topia. Viktor stopped in his tracks when he saw the historical building. "What's that?" He had seen the building from a distance before but had never had anyone to ask before.

Yuuri looked over his shoulder to see what he was referring to. "Oh, that's Hasetsu Castle. Inside is a ninja house."

"Really! ninjas?! I want to take a picture of myself in front of it." Viktor dashed towards the building. When he arrived in front of it, Viktor put his shopping bangs down and dug out his phone.

"Do you want me to take a picture of you in front of it?" Yuuri offered, he held out his hand to receive the Russians phone.

"No, I want you to be in it." Viktor pulled on his hand, making Yuuri stumble into him. Putting an arm around his shoulder, Viktor held up his phone for a selfie. Smiling he pressed the button.

When he looked to see how the picture turned out he noticed there was a blush across Yuuri's face. On habit Viktor posted it to his Instagram with the hashtag #ninja.

.o.

~Russia~

Yakov checked the internet for any sightings of Viktor online. He had been doing that every day since the boy had left. A new Instagram post was blowing up that Viktor Nikiforov had posted. He rolled his eyes at the ninja icon. Yakov checked to see if he had the location setting turned on. "Hasetsu, Japan," Yakov mumbled to himself.

He quickly threw a couple clothing items he kept in his office into a suitcase. Zipping it up, he marched out of his office. Locking the door behind him. To get to the front door Yakov had to walk past the rink where his skaters were practicing.

Yuri skated over to the boards when he saw his coach carrying a bag. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going to retrieve that idiot Viktor," Yakov growled as he continued to head towards the door.

"You figured out where he is?" Georgi questioned as he overheard, skating over to hear more.

"Yes, the idiot posted a picture on social media that had the location setting turned on," Yakov answered.

"Well, where the hell is he?" Yuri asked curiously. They had all been wondering where the idiot had taken off to.

"Japan, of all places," Yakov answered with exasperation. "I should hopefully only be gone a week at the most."

"Wait, I'll come with you." Yuri quickly skated to the exit of the ice and put his skate guards on.

"You should be training for your senior debut," Yakov instructed as he continued to struggle towards the door carrying his bag and using his cane at the same time.

"And miss Viktor getting yelled at, no chance," Yuri ran over and grabbed Yakov's bag. "Just let me call my Grandpa and we can go."

 **...TBC**


	5. Level 5

Almost didn't get to post this today because my tablet was malfunctioning.

* * *

 **Skate Like No One Is Watching**

 **Level 5**

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When Yuuri felt something jump on his bed he snapped awake. He thought it was just going to be Makkachin sneaking into his room again but instead he was greeted by Viktor at the foot of his bed. It was disorienting to have another person suddenly be there.

"Get up! It's time to start your real training," Viktor claimed with eagerness. Last night he had written down a plan for what they had to work on.

"It's only 5:30," Yuuri claimed in disbelief when he looked at the clock. It was even earlier than yesterday. "I have to work this evening."

"No, you don't," Viktor shook his head. "I called Yuuko and asked if anyone could fill in for you and she said her husband could. Put some exercise clothes on and meet me outside." Viktor bounced off the mattress as quickly as he had appeared.

Yuuri collapsed back onto the bed once he had left. He knew if he didn't hurry up the Russian was going to come back to see what was taking him so long. He didn't need Viktor walking in on him changing.

When Yuuri got outside he found Viktor doing some stretches. "So what are we doing?" He wasn't quite awake yet.

"We're going to go for a morning run," Viktor answered brightly. "You better stretch too before we start."

With a sigh, Yuuri stretched his arms over his head and then leaned down to touch his toes. He couldn't hold back a yawn. "Why do we have to do this now?"

"You've become a little out of shape." Viktor stood up and poked at the younger skater's stomach area.

"Are you calling me fat?" Yuuri asked self-consciously. He knew that he wasn't in the best shape but Yuuri was currently just a skating teacher. He didn't have to have an amazing body to teach kids.

"You aren't fat, you have just lost some muscle tone." Viktor tried to explain what he meant. He didn't mean to insult Yuuri's body image at all. He actually thought the other skater was very attractive just the way he was.

.0.

Yuuri panted as they jogged to the arena, Viktor kept stopping and looking back at him. By the time they had arrived at the Ice Castle, Yuuri was a breathless mess while Viktor looked like he hadn't just run 8 blocks.

When they got inside Yuuko was already at the skating kiosk. She gave Yuuri a sympathetic look when she saw the state he was in. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to Viktor's plan.

When they got on the ice, Yuuri performed some warm ups while Viktor went over the notes he had made last night. He had started to put together a routine to the song they had picked out. It had just been in his head but now Viktor wanted to see if it worked in real life.

"Ok, watch me." Viktor took a position in the middle of the rink while Yuuri skated over towards the boards so that he would be out of the way.

Using the remote, Viktor turned on the track. He tried to put his imagined program into reality. Letting the music lead his steps. Once Viktor started to skate, he kept thinking of things that could be fixed or changed to show more fluidity.

Viktor came out of his trance once he made the ending pose, with the music fading out. "That's the basis of the routine, there are still some parts I want to fix."

"You want me to skate that?" Yuuri asked with shock. The routine had a very high technical score. There were a lot of jumps he had never landed in competition before. It was completely intimidating.

"I have complete faith that you have the capabilities," Viktor claimed as he skated towards him. "Now it's your turn to try."

He showed Yuuri the routine step by step. Re positioning his body when Viktor felt it was necessary. Once they had gone through the moves a couple times, Viktor had Yuuri skate it for him a couple times without the music.

Once Viktor thought Yuuri had gotten the basics down he let him skate to the actual track. Yuuri skated completely differently with the music to follow. There was a lot more emotion and fluidity to his movements. It was a lot less robotically trying to get the steps right and more like Yuuri was dancing.

Yuuri built up his speed and attempted a quad jump. As soon as his blades left the ice Yuuri knew that he didn't have enough momentum. He got in three and a half rotations before he slammed into the ice.

"Yuuri!" Viktor called with worry. It had looked like a nasty fall. Quickly he skated over to the sprawled figure.

"I'm ok," Yuuri let himself be pulled off of the ice. Rubbing his side where he fell. It would leave a good size bruise. It wasn't the first time he had fallen in front of Viktor and it certainly would not be the last. "Just under-rotated."

"Maybe you aren't ready for such an advanced jump," Viktor speculated. Maybe he had pushed Yuuri past his limits. He always tried to include a quad in his own programs because the judges expected them.

"I've done it before-" Yuuri was offended that Viktor's confidence in his abilities had been shaken. "I'm just tired."

"Are you sure you're ok?" Viktor asked again. He had seen many skaters fall down and not get up again.

"I just need a break," Yuuri requested while out of breath. After a couple hours of skating Yuuri's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. Viktor on the other hand still looked picture-perfect even though he had also been skating right alongside him.

"It'll get easier the longer you do it," Viktor said when he noticed the fatigued state Yuuri was in already.

After being worked so hard, Yuuri was exhausted. He didn't think that Viktor was going to be such a strict coach. "I'm going to get something to drink." Yuuri skated over to the exit. Putting on his skate guards he left the ice to get something from the vending machine.

…

Yakov got out of the taxi and looked up at the sign the sign that read The Ice Castle in big lettering. On the other side of the vehicle, Yuri had gotten out and grabbed their luggage. When the boy came around to stand beside him, the taxi drove away.

"What a dump," Yuri stated when he looked at the rundown exterior. "Why the hell would Viktor want to train here?"

"That's what I would like to know," Yakov replied then started to head inside. The interior wasn't much more impressive than the outside. There was just a short hallway that opened out to the ice rink. There he could see Viktor skating alone.

Somehow Yakov hand known that Viktor would be on the ice at the closest rink somehow. He quickly walked towards his skater. "Viktor Nikiforov! What do you think you are doing in this godforsaken place?"

After hearing the voice of his coach, Viktor immediately froze. Skates throwing shaved ice since he stopped so quickly. Spinning around quickly to face his irate coach. "Yakov, how'd you find me?"

"The stupid selfie you posted, you idiot!" Yuri snapped from his place off to the side.

"Yuri, I didn't see you there." Viktor turned his eyes towards the young blond.

"Keh, of course not. You always forget about me," Yuri complained with exasperation.

"What do you mean?" If looks could kill, Viktor was sure that he would have died from the one the teenager was giving him right now.

"You broke your stupid promise." Yuri stomped his foot.

"What promise?" Viktor skated closer to the boards.

"You were supposed to be choreographing my senior long program for this season. Remember now?" Yuri hissed with irritation.

"That's why you wanted to come along boy?" Yakov asked, though he already had his suspicions the kid had ulterior motives for coming along.

"Right," Viktor vaguely remembered saying he would do that. A lot had happened since he made that promise. Viktor had assumed at the time he would still be training contentedly in Russia so it would be easy to train Yuri in his free time.

-"Oh my god," Yuuri commented when he spotted the unmistakable man. He had gone to get drinks only to find two new editions when he got back. "Yakov Feltsman." He said with disbelief.

"You know who I am?" Yakov asked with a condescending tone.

"Of course, I've followed figure skating for years and you are the best coach there currently is," Yuuri gushed. Even after spending the past couple of weeks in the presence of the Viktor Nikiforov, his fanboy was still coming out.

"Who's he?" Yakov addressed the question towards Viktor. If he knew who Yakov was then he sure as hell knew who Viktor Nikiforov was. The Japanese man did not seem surprised by Viktor's presence so he assumed they were acquainted.

"This is Yuuri Katsuki, he's a really talented figure skater. I've been helping him organize his program for qualifiers to see-" Viktor started to explain.

"Instead of concentration on yourself, you have been trying to get into-" Yakov started to say but then Viktor leaned over the boards and covered his mouth. His big gray eyebrows came together.

"Let's have a private conversation." Viktor interrupted before Yakov could finish the sentence with _his pants_. From what Viktor could tell Yuuri had no idea how he felt about him. He knew that Yakov was not going to have very nice things to say and he didn't want Yuuri over hearing.

Viktor quickly went over to the exit and put his skate guards on. Herding Yakov towards the closet office. As soon as the door closed behind them Yakov started talking.

"You are coming back to Russia with me," Yakov commanded in Russian. He didn't want the Japanese man to overhear what they were talking about.

"I don't want to leave yet," Viktor replied with determination. If he went back to Russia there would be nothing left to do but nitpick at his programs. Going back to his normal routine just seemed so boring. There was so much left to do if he stayed in Japan. "I want to stay here with Yuuri."

"You are really going to risk your career for some boy?" Yakov spat with disdain. Lust had been the ruin of many skating careers.

"We haven't gotten to that point yet," Viktor explained with insecurity.

"Viktor I know you well enough to see just by looking at your body language, that you desire that boy out there." Yakov always felt awkward talking about his skater's sex lives. He only butted in when Yakov felt it was interfering with their careers. Usually, it was Georgi that he had to worry about.

"Yes, I have feelings for Yuuri, but they go way deeper than just lusting after his body," Viktor exclaimed defensively.

"You aren't talking about love, are you?" Yakov asked with dread. If it was only lust he may be able to convince Viktor to leave the boy behind but if he thinks the other skater was the love of his life there was no chance.

"Maybe?" Viktor replied thoughtfully. No one had ever caught his attention like Yuuri had before. They had never even shared a kiss but already he felt deeper for Yuuri than he had for any of his past relationships. "And I don't want you telling Yuuri how I feel."

...

A few words in Russian could be heard slipping through the door. Yakov was talking quite loudly.

Yuuri was left alone with the teenager. They both stood staring at the closed door in silence.

Regarding Yuri out of the corner of his eye. He had seen the Russian Fairy skate a couple times on TV before. Yuri Plisetsky definitely had natural talent. Moves that Yuuri had to struggle to perform, the teenager made look effortless.

Yuri made a noise of impatience. "Uh- How long are they going to freak-in be?" He didn't come all the way to Japan not to see Viktor get what was coming to him. Now there was another complication to deal with. What was Viktor doing with the Japanese nobody he had picked up?

Yuuri froze when the green eyes turned to observe him. They looked up and down his figure with judging eyes. It didn't help that Yuuri knew that he currently looked a mess.

"I don't know what is so special about you to gain Viktor's attention," Yuri said with disdain in his voice.

Yuuri didn't know how to respond because he didn't know the answer himself. Somehow Viktor Nikiforov has seen something in him. There was something unnerving about the way that Plisetsky was looking at him.

"You a good fuck or something?" Yuri speculated what it could be out loud. He had seen the way that Viktor had looked at the Japanese skater. There was definitely some attraction there.

Yuuri flushed at the implication. "What happens between Viktor and I is none of your business." frowning down at Plisetsky and hoping the teen couldn't see how shaken he was. He didn't want to admit to the teen that he had hardly shared a kiss let alone lost his virginity.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!" Plisetsky snarled. He was tired of people talking to him like he was too young to understand. "I'm entering the senior division the same as you."

"Sorry." Yuuri found himself apologizing.

"Viktor made me a promise. He's pretty forgetful," Yuri stared straight into his eyes with a defiant expression. "Don't get your hopes up because he'll forget you too."

"Uh-" Yuuri was stunned by the rudeness. This was their first conversation together, and the teen was- threatening him. Yuri was only fifteen, Yuuri shouldn't be afraid of him. Despite his small size Yuri Plisetsky was intimidating.

"There's only room for one Yuuri. Viktor's going to come back to Russia with us and you are going to be forgotten," Yuri claimed with confidence as he poked the Japanese man.

Yuuri backed up from the finger on his chest. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Yuuri felt his heart sink at the suggestion that Viktor was going to leave. He didn't know how to respond. What the teen said was more than likely going to be true. Viktor's coach has come to set his wayward student back on course.

"Viktor can make his own decisions." Yuuri knew he didn't have any say in what Viktor decided to do.

"Whatever," Yuri pulled his hood over his head to cover his bright blond hair.

Yuuri watched the retreating back of the teenager. Their conversation had left him a lot to contemplate. He quickly walked out of the rink.

.0.

When Yuuri got back to Yu-topia it was full of people. There must be some event on TV that night. He didn't feel like socializing just yet.

Before anyone could notice him, Yuuri slipped back to his room to get a change of clothes. The shower area of the hot spring was usually empty at that time of night. He quickly washed all the sweat off his body in privacy.

Yuuri felt a lot better now that he was clean. He put on a fresh change of clothes and dropped the soiled ones in the laundry bin with the dirty towels. Now that he was presentable Yuuri figured he better go see if his family needed any help with the guests.

When he got to the main room, Yuuri spotted his family members. His mother was running around serving drinks while his father was manning the till. Mari was in the kitchen making all the food. She had been learning how to cook everything from their mother so that she could take over the business one day.

Yuuri walked over to his mother who was pouring more sake to another customer. "Do you need me to do anything?"

"No dear. You must be exhausted from training." Viktor had explained his whole training plan to her. "Just sit down and relax." His mother declined his help and walked off again.

Not knowing what to do with himself, Yuuri looked around for someone to sit with. He spotted Minako sitting at the table right in front of the television. Yuuri walked over and sat down beside her.

"Long time no see. You haven't been coming to the studio lately," Minako said she saw him. "What have you been up to? Or who?"

"What do you mean?" Yuuri asked.

"Oh come on, your mother has been telling me all about Viktor Nikiforov," Minako nudged him and winked. "Get what I mean?"

"It isn't like that," Yuuri blushed at the insinuation.

"Well, what are you waiting for? You got to take the chance and nab him while he's here," Minako encouraged. "Seduce him. Use your sexuality and charms."

"I don't have any charms, at least not any that Viktor would be interested in," Yuuri said self-consciously. He was an average looking Japanese man who wore glasses.

"Yuuri, you are so oblivious. Someone could walk up to you and say they like you to your face and you'll think they only wanted friendship," Minako moaned in despair. According to Mari, classmates would pull him aside and confess and Yuuri would just not realize they were asking him out. "That is the only reason why you are still single."

Shrugging, Yuuri looked down at his hands. He admits to not having much experience at relationships. His friends would point out at school that someone liked him but he had just never returned their feelings so he never did anything about it. He knew that he would just become a stuttering mess if he tried to talk to them anyway.

"Where is that Viktor Nikiforov anyway?" Minako looked around as if the world famous skater would suddenly appear.

Yuuri found himself frowning at the mention of the skater. He was worried that Viktor was really going to go back to Russia. They hadn't returned to the onsen yet so that meant that Viktor must still be talking to his coach.

"Why do you suddenly look so depressed?" Minako asked observantly.

"Viktor may be leaving," Yuuri said anxiously.

Minako knew how much Viktor had come to mean to Yuuri over the small amount of time he had been here. Way more than just an idol or even a friend. Once the world famous figure skater left it would be unlikely that he would return. Yuuri must be feeling devastated right now. Minako thought about what cheered her up when she was sad. "Let's go out!"

"What?" Yuuri looked up in surprise at the suggestion.

"Let's go to a bar and get some alcohol to cheer you up," Minako stood up and put her coat on. She placed some money on the table to settle her bill.

"Uh..." Yuuri looked at the saki bottle that was still on the table. His look said it all, 'Why do we need to go out when there is alcohol right here?'

"Somewhere where your parents aren't," Minako whispered so only he could hear.

Looking over discretely as he could, Yuuri could see his parents spying on their conversation from their separate positions. "Ok, why not." Yuuri agreed, it was better than staying here and fretting over what Viktor chose to do.

.0.

Their conversation had just kept going around in circles. It didn't seem that Viktor was going to be able to change Yakov's mind anytime soon.

"Viktor-" Yakov started to say but the younger man held up a hand to halt his speech.

"It's late and I'm too tired to talk about this anymore now. You two can stay at Yu-topia. It's the onsen Yuuri's parents own." Viktor was sure that there was a room open.

When Viktor got out of the office he couldn't see any sign of Yuuri. He had been expecting the younger skater to be waiting patiently for them to finish talking. On a nearby bench, he could spot the other Yuri sitting with a pleased look on his face. He was suspicious why the usually sullen teen looked so satisfied.

"He left already," Yuuko informed him because she could tell he was looking for Yuuri. She had seen him leave not long ago. She had tried to catch Yuuri and ask him what was wrong but he had speed walked too fast.

...

Viktor headed back to the onsen with his coach and fellow skater in tow. When he got there both of Yuuri's parents were serving a larger amount of customers than usual. They all seemed riveted by the TV that was showing a baseball game.

When Mrs. Katsuki was heading back to the kitchen, Viktor gained her attention. "Is it possible to get a room for my coach ready? With two beds." He asked politely. If there wasn't any space they would just have to crash in his room.

"You're lucky, there's only one left." Yuuri's mother claimed as she moved over to the desk area. Some of their regulars had bought a room so that they could drink freely and not have to worry about getting home until the morning.

Hiroko handed the key for room number 2 over. Then she turned her attention to their two new guests. One was an old man and the other was a teenager. "Oh, you look so thin. I'm going to go get you a meal that will put some meat on your bones." Hiroko claimed as soon as she saw how skinny the teen was. She had had the opposite problem with Yuuri when he was that age. The boy had always put on the pounds so easily.

"There is nothing wrong with my weight." Yuri hissed as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was very insecure about his slender body build. Many had claimed that he had the body of a pre-teen girl.

"You will accept the meal the women is making for you graciously." Yakov reprimanded.

The two Russians were directed to a table to wait to be served. It didn't take long for two bowls of Katsudon to be brought out. There had made a large serving ahead of time because they knew it was going to be too busy to cook individual portions of meals.

Since it was coming to the end of the game, Mari came out of the kitchen to serve it herself. She raised an eyebrow in question when she saw Viktor sitting with two other foreigners.

"Mari, this is my coach Yakov Feltsman, and this is Yuri Plisetsky, he's another skater." Viktor introduced his two companions.

"Your names also Yuri?" Mari asked as she looked over the teen. "That's going to get confusing. I'm going to call you... Yurio."

"That's perfect!" Viktor exclaimed with delight. He turned and addressed the teen. "Yurio is such a cute nick name for you."

"There is nothing cute about me!" Yuri snapped. He was so tired of people calling him girly names. The Russian Fairy was bad enough, he didn't need anymore nick names like that.

"Eat your food" Yakov ordered his pupil. Yuri listened to him and sulkily started to eat the deep fried dish.

"I'm just going to go look for Yuuri," Viktor said to Yakov as he slipped the key for their room into his hand. Now that he had set up their accommodations for the evening, Viktor felt like he could go look for Yuuri now. "I'll be back soon."

Viktor stood up and looked around to see if Yuuri had arrived without him noticing. Not seeing the skater, he slipped into the family wing to check if Yuuri was there. Viktor found the bedroom to be empty. He headed back out to the main room.

"Where's Yuuri?" Viktor asked the Katsuki's who were cleaning up for the evening.

"Oh, he went out with Minako," Hiroko replied as she was bringing some dirty dishes to the kitchen.

"Yuuri's not here either," Viktor whined with displeasure.

"I'm sorry dear." Hiroko comforted as she bustled past.

"Did they go to the dance studio?" Viktor asked since he remembered Yuuri talking about her being his teacher. He knew that Yuuri liked to go there when he got stressed.

"Not this time," Mari answered from the kitchen window. "They went drinking together. Every once and a while she convinces Yuuri to actually go."

"Drinking?" Viktor replied with confusion. To him, Yuuri did not seem like the type of person to go drinking.

"That woman likes to drink," Toshiya further explained from his position at the cash register. "Knowing Minako she probably took Yuuri to her favorite place."

...

It was more of a noodle shop than an actual bar. They served alcohol though so that was probably all that mattered. It did include a stage though that Yuuri was currently on.

Viktor gasped as an inebriated Yuuri sang Karaoke. It was all in Japanese and Viktor didn't understand a word of it. It didn't seem like Yuuri was doing a bad job of it though judging by the audiences cheering. Of course, Minako was the loudest of them all. She was sitting down in front at a table strewn with bottles.

He enjoyed watching Yuuri perform. Viktor could tell that he was completely drunk. The Japanese skater was usually really reserved and quiet, right now he had lost all his restraint. It was nice to see Yuuri let loose.

The song ended and the crowd started to cheer something else. "Dansu! Dansu! Dansu!" They were all still over excited over the sports teams win from earlier.

Yuuri started to dance across the stage. He wasn't sure if the other town folks knew that Yuuri was a dancer or not. It was a small enough town that they probably knew everything about each other.

After performing a couple of leaps, Yuuri stumbled and caught himself on a support pole at the corner of the stage. He swung around and brought himself up. The crowd cheered and yelled obscenities in Japanese. Viktor actually understood some of them because he had skimmed the swear word section of his language book.

In a surprising move, Yuuri started to climb the pole and then slide down using just his legs.

It shouldn't have shocked Viktor so much that Yuuri was a very proficient pole dancer. He had training in both dance and gymnastics so he certainly had the skills. Pole dancing required significant endurance and coordination.

"I taught him that," Minako gloated.

Then Yuuri flipped himself upside down and did a splits in the air, holding it for a few seconds before letting his body fall back to the pole. Using both arms to hold on, Yuuri was upside-down with one foot planted on the pole and slid down with his leg fully extended over his head.

Viktor was pretty sure Yuuri had just performed a trick that was called the Russian Splits. It amazed him that Yuuri had enough strength to support his body weight like that. Viktor had been saying that Yuuri had great stamina.

He had been enjoying the show until Yuuri decided to start taking off his shirt. It was, of course, easier to pool dance with fewer clothes on. Viktor decided he needed to stop this before it went too far. He didn't want this to turn into an actual strip show.

He went towards the stage to escort Yuuri down. Some of the other patrons booed him for ruining their show. He could hear Minako distinctly because she was the loudest amongst them. He gave Yuuri's hand a tug and the younger skater fell off the pole and into his arms. He carried the skater out through the door. They emerged into the cold night air.

Viktor knew he wouldn't be able to carry Yuuri all the way back to Yu-topia. Skating worked out the legs more than the arms. If only he was into couple skating, this would be easy. Viktor made a note to work on his arms more next time he worked out.

He adjusted his hold on Yuuri as he attempted to walk holding the skater in a fireman's hold. He hadn't lost consciousness yet and was mumbling something at him in Japanese. It appeared Yuuri switched back to his mother tongue when he was wasted. "I can't understand what you're saying."

In response, Yuuri just got more adamant about what he was trying to communicate. Viktor looked fondly at the drunk Japanese man.

The longer he carried Yuuri the heavier he felt. His arms started to burn under the strain. Finally, when Viktor couldn't stand it any longer, he placed Yuuri's legs back on the ground. He was still able to walk even though Yuuri was a little wobbly. Viktor supported the other man so that he didn't fall on his face. Luckily it wasn't too far back to the onsen from here.

"Why'd you feel the need to get drunk?" Viktor asked as he escorted the younger man home.

"You're leaving." Yuuri slurred.

"I'm not going anywhere just yet," Viktor denied the accusation. "Who told you that?"

"Yuri did." The younger man grumbled.

"Oh, you mean Yura," It took a second to click, Viktor thought for a second he was talking to himself. "I'm not ready to go back to Russia yet."

"But they want you to go with them," Yuuri whined petulantly.

"Doesn't matter. They can't make me go if I don't want to." Viktor replied as he supported Yuuri's weight.

"Good," Yuuri replied as he squeezes his arm.

When the Yu-topia came into sight, Viktor helped Yuuri get up the stairs. He decided to take Yuuri through the back door because he didn't want to risk Yakov seeing him like this. It would just make him think Yuuri was a bad influence.

They came through the door from the garden. Checking to see if anyone was around. It appeared every else had all headed to bed already. He decided to put Yuuri in his room so that he could keep an eye on him. It would be easier with his king size bed.

He helped the drunk Japanese man take off his coat and shoes. Viktor felt uncomfortable removing any more clothing. Leading Yuuri over to the bed, Viktor tucked him under the covers. The brown eyes drifted closed quickly.

Once Yuuri's breathing had deepened Viktor got ready for bed. After brushing his teeth and changing into sleep clothes, Viktor wasn't sure what he should do. He looked at the bed with longing. He was so tired from the roller coaster of a day he had.

Deciding there was more than enough space for the both of them. On the other side of the bed, Viktor laid down on top of the covers on his side facing the Japanese skater. He found his own eyes drifting closed.

 **...TBC**


	6. Level 6

One more chapter after this.

* * *

 **Skate Like No One Is Watching**

 **Level 6**

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Yuuri groaned as he became conscious. His head was pounding.

"You're alive then," Viktor announced his presence. It seemed the younger skater had decided to wake up as soon as he left the room.

Forcing himself to open his eyes, Yuuri looked towards where Viktor's voice was coming from with confusion. What was Viktor doing in his room? Looking around at his surroundings, Yuuri realized he wasn't in his own room. There was no clear memory of how he got here. "Wha-What am I doing in your room?"

"I wanted to monitor your condition," Viktor replied as he sat on the edge of the bed. "You were in pretty rough shape when I got you back here."

"Condition?" Yuuri asked with puzzlement.

"You got drunk last night," Viktor reminded the Japanese skater.

With a furrowed brow Yuuri tried to remember. "Right, I went out with Minako."

"Here, coffee," Viktor remembered why he had left the room in the first place. He had grabbed two cups just in case Yuuri woke up.

Yuuri accepted the warm beverage with pleasure. He took a sip and could sense himself feeling better.

"Do have any memory of what happened last night?" Viktor asked. He wouldn't be surprised if Yuuri was blackout drunk from the number of empty alcohol bottles that was on their table. Even from a Russian perspective, it was a lot of alcohol.

"Not after arriving at the noodle bar," Yuuri replied as he sipped at his coffee. He remembered Minako ordering an assortment of drinks for the both of them. Yuuri could feel that a big part of his memory was missing of last night. "What did I do?"

"I'm not sure if you want to know," Viktor said with an amused smile.

"Just put me out of my misery," Yuuri asked with trepidation. It couldn't be that bad.

"There may have been Karaoke," Viktor explained with hesitation. "And pole-dancing."

Yuuri paled and almost dropped his coffee mug. There was nothing more embarrassing than pole dancing in a room full of people. "Why was there a pole there to dance on?" Yuuri asked weakly.

"It was just part of the stage," Viktor explained simply.

Yuuri's mind came up with images of what happened. Feeling mortification overcoming him when he realized that Viktor must have seen everything. He placed the mug on the bedside table and then hid under the covers. "Never mention it again." Yuuri pleaded.

Viktor smiled fondly at the pile of blankets. "It's forgotten," He promised though it would be impossible to erase the mental images from his mind. "I have to go and talk to Yakov." Viktor could see Yuuri tense at the mention of his coach. "If you don't remember last night then you don't remember the talk we had, do you?"

"What talk?" Yuuri mumbled through the fabric.

Viktor leaned over and tugged the blanket back so that he could see Yuuri's face. "That I'm not going back to Russia yet."

"Really?" Yuuri asked with optimism.

"Da," Viktor nodded. He was surprised by the hug that he suddenly received for his answer. He returned it gladly then pulled back. "I really do have to talk to Yakov about it, he must be getting impatient."

"Go talk to your coach," Yuuri gave him permission to leave him. Pulling the blanket back up around his shoulders.

"Get some rest." Viktor stood up from the bed and headed to the door. He looked back to see that Yuuri had already fallen back asleep. He closed the door as quietly as possible as not to wake him.

.0.

When Viktor entered the main room Yakov was already there. His coach was looking at the small collection of figure skating medals in a display case. Like all proud parents, the Katsuki's had a place that held their child's accomplishments.

"Dobroye utro" (Good morning) Viktor greeted as he approached his coach.

"More like good afternoon," Yakov huffed curtly.

After that reply, Viktor looked at the clock to see that it was pushing noon already. He hadn't realized how late it had grown. "Where's Yura?" Viktor asked curiously. He didn't see any sign of the younger skater.

"He went back to that ice rink. Plisetsky doesn't want to fall behind in his training," Yakov replied gruffly.

Viktor nodded in understanding. He was sure the teenager got impatient for him to appear. "Can we finish our talk?" Viktor asked, gesturing to the doors that led to the garden. His coach nodded and followed him out.

Yakov sat on a bench and waited for him to start talking.

"I'm not going back to Russia," Viktor claimed to make his decision known. "Not yet at least."

"Stop fooling around Viktor. You need to come back to Russia so that we can get your training back on track," Yakov demanded with frustration. "We may still be able to salvage this season."

"I haven't just been just fooling around out here!" Viktor defended his actions. He wasn't a young child anymore that needed to be watched constantly. He was responsible for his own performance.

"I highly doubt that," Yakov said sarcastically. He had known Viktor since he was a preteen. He tended to get distracted if he wasn't set back on track.

"I felt like I was being smothered in Russia. For the past 15 yrs, I've held the responsibility of representing Russia and they all expect me to win gold every year," Viktor said with fervor. "I'm not going to be able to do that much longer."

"You're thinking of retiring?" Yakov asked with worry. He wasn't mentally prepared to lose his best skater.

"No, not yet. I still have a few seasons left in me." Viktor replied to stave off his worries.

One thing Yakov had beat into his skaters is that they must take care of their bodies. They must learn from his mistakes; unless they also wanted to be walking with a cane at a ripe old age of 30. For an older figure skater, Viktor was in amazing shape. If the boy had retired now because his body was falling apart, Yakov had failed as a coach.

"It was more like I had lost my creativity and needed to regain it. Get away for a bit." Viktor answered.

"Why Japan?" Yakov asked curiously.

"Why not," Viktor answered with a shrug. "I just saw this commercial featuring their hot springs and I can tell you they are worth the long trip."

"So you didn't come here just for that Japanese skater?" Yakov questioned suspiciously.

"No, I just happened to connect with him once I was here," Viktor replied with confusion. "What did you think?"

"For all I know, you met the kid online and traveled here specifically to run away with him," Yakov replied.

"Nothing like that." Viktor smiling at the fanatical idea. Dropping everything for a boy did sound like something he would do.

"I want you to prove that you haven't been slacking off and that your new program is up to my standards," Yakov demanded as he stood up.

"Fine," Viktor agreed since it was totally fair demand. "When?"

"Now," Yakov stated.

"Now?!" Viktor replied in shock.

"Yes now!" Yakov didn't want to give Viktor the chance to improve on what he currently had prepared.

...

Heading back to his room Viktor woke Yuuri up. He knew that the Japanese skater wouldn't want to miss this.

Yuuri groaned at being disturbed. "What?"

Viktor amused at the grumpy behavior. "I'm going to skate my full program for Yakov, do you want to come watch?"

His head was still killing him but Yuuri really wanted to see. "Give me a couple minutes to get ready," Yuuri grumbled as he sat up. Viktor noticed his hair was sticking up in all different directions. "Where are my glasses?" Yuuri asked. He had felt around the night table and didn't find the frames.

Viktor hadn't seen Yuuri wear the glasses last night. He hoped Yuuri had been smart enough to put them in his jacket. He felt around in the pockets. With success, he retrieved the blue frames and handed them to the Japanese skater.

Yuuri put them on and Viktor came into focus. It made him a little self-conscious now that he could see Viktor looking at him. He must look a mess.

"I need a shower," Yuuri could smell the alcohol on his clothes. He stood up to head to his own room.

"Take your time," Viktor nodded in understanding. They both left the room at the same time.

Mari was coming out of one of the guest's room after cleaning it. She looked at the state of her younger brother. "Have a rough night," She commented with amusement.

"Minako," Was all Yuuri said as an explanation. He turned and headed towards his bed room.

"I'll make you some green tea," Mari called after her brother. Yuuri didn't drink often so when he did it hit him hard. She turned her attention back to the world famous skater. "Was there a reason my brother was coming out of your room?

Viktor flushed when he realized how it looked. "I just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to get sick during the night."

"That better be all it was. If you took advantage of my brother while he was drunk, I would have to beat you up," Minako claimed seriously. "Not to say I wouldn't support a relationship between the two of you."

"Uh-" Was Viktor really that transparent?

"I've seen the way that you look at my brother." Mari looked intently at the Russian. It had surprised her when Yuuri's childhood idol had shown up and started looking at her brother like he hung the moon. "I'm pretty sure he feels the same about you judging by the fact that he only had posters of you on his walls."

"Really, only me?" Viktor had assumed that Yuuri had a variety of skating posters.

"Yes, and if you hurt him I'll have to destroy you," Mari claimed and then walked away to continue working.

.o.

Yuuri felt much more like himself and less like a zombie after a warm shower. He had to resist a soak in the hot spring, he knew everyone was waiting for him. Quickly he threw on clean clothes that didn't smell like alcohol. He brushed his teeth to get rid of the acidic taste.

When he showed up to the main room Yakov gave Yuuri an aggravated look for making them wait. Viktor gave him an encouraging one to counter it. "Let's go," Viktor exclaimed.

They all walked over to the Ice Castle together.

Since he got up Yuuri had been noticing the dark looks he had been receiving from the Russian coach. "I don't think he likes me very much," Yuuri commented with a sigh.

"Yakov is just projecting his anger at me onto you," Viktor said with lightness. "He'll warm up eventually."

"Are you sure?" Yuuri said sarcastically as he looked at the Russian coaches back.

"It all depends on how he likes my program really," Viktor replied with a shrug.

"Knowing you, it is going to be amazing." Yuuri complimented.

Viktor blushed at the flattering remark. People always told him he was an amazing skater but it seemed like more coming from Yuuri.

When they arrived at the rink, Yuuko was gushing over Yuri's skating. She followed the junior league almost as closely as the senior. She had been a big fan of the Russian Fairy ever since his first debut on television.

While Yakov went to talk to Yuri, Viktor headed to the locker room. Yuuri followed him in and stood by the door to watch him get ready. He went to his locker to grab his gold skates. Sitting down on one of the benches to lace them up.

Yuri opened the door to the locker room and yelled inside. "Get on the ice already, we don't have all day!" He turned on his heel and closed the door. They were sure that Yakov had sent him.

"Wish me luck," Viktor asked the other skater.

"Of course." Yuuri smiled and kissed Viktor on the cheek. "Luck." After he did it he blushed a deep scarlet.

"I better get out there," Viktor whispered to Yuuri. He kissed him on the cheek back and then stood. He didn't know it was possible for the Japanese man to turn anymore red.

They both exited the locker room. Yakov and Yuri were waiting for them. "Ready?" Yakov asked, Viktor nodded and headed out onto the ice.

Yuuri waited eagerly for Viktor to skate. He hadn't seen Viktor's routine in full yet. It was a completely different experience seeing a routine in bits and pieces and fully pieced together.

The first notes of the song started to play as Viktor took his starting position. He had selected _Siren by Elephante_ for his long program. Viktor had never used a song before with such techno beats. Viktor wanted this year to be surprising so he had to choose completely different music than his usual choices. No more instrumental music by the old Russian composers. It was always what Yakov wanted him to choose.

When Viktor had been choreographing this routine he had made sure to include all the required elements. There were axels, connecting steps, jump and spin combinations, and step sequences. He made sure to focus on the last element a lot more than he would usually. He threw in turns, brackets, counters, rockers, mohawks, choctaws, changes of edge, and chasses wherever he could.

Yakov watched with a critical eye. Viktor had as high a technical score as usual but his artistry and musically had been raised significantly. It must be thanks to the Yuuri that Viktor had been skating with.

Viktor skated the program with much more passion than he had skated with in years.

Performing a triple axel taking off from the forward edge of his skate, Viktor completed three rotations in the air. Landing cleaning on his opposite foot. He definitely hadn't slacked off in practicing his jumps. They were as tight as ever.

The routine lasted a little over 4 minutes. Viktor had managed to keep his stamina up so that he could perform some complicated jumps in the second half. It would earn him some extra points. 'There had been no mistakes so far, but could Viktor keep it up?' Yakov thought to himself.

Viktor had started to feel the fatigue by the last minute of the song. He was determined to not let it show. Adding a variation of a triple flip which was really hard to perform once he had been skating for an extended amount of time. Performing arabesque spiral the transitioning to some forward chasses.

Finishing off the routine with a spin landing him back in the middle of the rink. Holding his pose, Viktor panted after he finished. Once a respectable amount of time had passed he dropped his stance and headed towards the boards where Yuuri was waiting for him.

"That was amazing," Yuuri gushed as Viktor skated over to him.

"I couldn't have done the routine the way it is now without the help you provided for my footwork." Viktor smiled when Yuuri blushed at the compliment he gave him. "So what did you think?" He asked his coach.

"I expect to see you on the podium this season at Worlds," Yakov commented in an indirect approval of his skating.

"So I can stay?" Viktor asked to clarify.

"Yes, I don't know how but you have improved your artistry while here," Yakov commented. "If it is because of the boy, I commend you." He directed to Yuuri.

"I told you he would warm up," Viktor whispered into Yuuri's ear. He got off the ice and put his skating guards on.

.o.

They headed back to Yu-topia where Mrs. Katsuki threw a going away dinner. They all sat down to a feast of different Japanese dishes.

Viktor pulled Yakov aside so that they could have one last conversation before he left.

"I'm disappointed that you won't be coming back to Russia with us," Yakov grumbled.

"Yuri's the future." Viktor pointed out.

"You think your boy toy is going to be the next world champion." Yakov snapped.

"I wasn't talking about my Yuuri but yours," Viktor sighed in exasperation. "I should have clarified with the future of Russian figure skating."

"Oh!" Yakov internally berated himself for jumping to conclusions.

"I'm turning 28 in a couple months and that is the time when most figure skaters think about retiring. I'm at the end of my career and Yuri is at the beginning." Viktor stated because it was a fact. "I can take care of myself, you should focus all your efforts towards Yuri."

"Do you really think that Yuri has what it takes?" Yakov asked unsurely. It was hard to tell when a skater was so young. Many dropped out of the sport when they got closer to University because they didn't consider it a career. It was probably what happened to the Japanese skater.

"Once you cool his anger a bit," Viktor thought out loud. Yakov gave him a pointed look. "Even at 15, Yuri can hold his own against me. Imagine how good he will be once he's my age."

"You are probably right," Yakov nodded in agreement. "Yuri has a much better work technique than you ever had. I'm sure he will be breaking your world records in no time."

"That hurts." Viktor joked.

 **...TBC**


	7. Level 7

I actually forgot to post the last chapter yesterday. I was traveling all morning and then I was helping to lay down new flooring at my house.

Hope you enjoy the last chapter.

* * *

 **Skate Like No One Is Watching**

 **Level 7**

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Before he could qualify for seniors Yuuri would have to skate in a regional Japanese National Competition.

Yuuri would have to skate in a regional Japanese National Competition in order to qualify for the Grand Prix.

Yuuri had expected to be able to get through with little trouble because the majority of the competitors were younger than him. There were 4 competitors in the senior division and Yuuri was the oldest by a wide margin. The youngest was just 16. It made him feel inferior that he was starting so much later than the others.

Whispers went around the arena wondering what the great Viktor Nikiforov was doing hanging around a Japanese qualifier.

It was so early in the season Viktor was able to come as Yuuri's coach. He had also invited another coach named Celestino to come and watch because he wanted the man to take over as Yuuri's coach for the season. It would be good if he became familiar with the Japanese skater's style.

All the skaters were warming up on the ice. It wasn't until the audience saw one of the Japanese competitors come over and openly talk to Viktor did they realize he had come for another skater. Gossip started to fly. What was their relationship? Who the hell was he?

Pictures started to show up on Instagram of the two of them together. It wasn't long before it was a trending topic in the figure skating tag. It soon reached the other senior figure skaters. Viktor turned off his phone because he was receiving so many messages.

Everyone was asked to clear the ice because the qualifiers were going to start soon. Yuuri put on his skate guards. Viktor explained that he needed to go talk to someone but would be back. Yuuri nodded and headed to the antechamber. He knew he would probably only get nervous if he watched the others skaters. Viktor would come and get him when it was close to his turn. There were only a few skaters around talking with their coaches.

Yuuri put in his ear buds to drown out the sound of the crowd. He could already tell by the crowds cheering that the first skater was doing very well. His main goal was just to stay calm. This was the time where his nerves usually started.

Listening to his program song, Yuuri performed some stretches against the wall. Using the vertical surface to push off of. Leaning forward Yuuri twisted his hips. He had to keep his muscles loose so that he could perform all the jumps.

When Viktor came back he ended up watching with his mouth hanging open. He had never thought about how suggestive the stretches could be before now. Yuuri was so focused on himself he wasn't thinking about how he looked to others. When he noticed one of the other competitors watching, Viktor shot the boy a dirty look. The kid with the red hair with a yellow streak looked away immediately after being caught.

The competitor before Yuuri had just been called. Viktor went over and tapped Yuuri on his shoulder to gain his attention. Turning his head, Yuuri took one ear bud out. "You're up soon."

Yuuri nodded in understanding. They both headed to the rink. When people started to respectfully step out of their way as they passed, Yuuri finds he has plenty of time to develop a nice healthy case of anxiety before they reach the ice rink.

Yuuri took deep breaths as he waited for his name to be called. The nerves usually hit a lot sooner. He unzipped his jacket to reveal his costume. They had decided to go with a bedazzled blue jacket over black pants.

Viktor took his jacket. "You have this, so there is no reason to be nervous. Just skate like you do in practice," When an organizer opened the door for him Viktor leaned over and whispered to him. "Remember, skate like no one is watching."

"Right," Yuuri nodded in understanding. It was easier said than done. He took off his glasses and handed them to Viktor, who tucked the frames into his coat for safe keeping. As he skated out onto the ice, Yuuri could hear the announcer say his credentials. "Yuuri Katsuki, Age 23."

They had worked tirelessly the past two months to create this routine and to get Yuuri ready to perform it. The first notes of _Foxes Feet Don't Fail Me_ _Now_ started to play as he took his starting position.

Yuuri had become much more confident with skating in front of people. Without his glasses on all the faces just blended into each other except for Viktor. His silver hair stood out in the crowd of black. Whenever he needed something to concentrate on, Yuuri would find the Silver hair at the edge of the rink.

You would think it would be nerve racking having the figure skating world champion watching him but it was comforting. If Yuuri had no talent, there would be no way Viktor would be encouraging him to attempt to become a figure skater professionally.

Viktor watched critically. When he started Yuuri looked too stiff. It was probably just his nerves getting in the way. There was a planned a quadruple loop, whoops it turned into a triple. This wasn't a major competition so the point loss wasn't a problem. Yuuri would just have to do better next time.

Yuuri tried performing a double toe loop but landed badly. He didn't fall but had to touch two fingers to the ice to keep his balance. Viktor hoped that the mistake didn't shake Yuuri's confidence too much. He needed to remember to just keep going.

Pulling himself together Yuuri managed to do just that. Performing the next step sequence with determination. Taking out one rotation from his next jump so that he could get back in time with the music. It was a sign that you were a professional when you were able to calculate what you needed to do to fix a mistake while skating your routine. Viktor knew the first time he had seen Yuuri skate that he had what it takes to be successful.

Yuuri wasn't nailing all his jumps but still has the audience because of the way he moves to the music.

The second half of the program was much better. It appeared that Yuuri had started to get more comfortable on the ice. There was an over rotation here or there but otherwise, it was exactly how Viktor choreographed it.

Coming out of a spin Yuuri did his ending pose. Letting out a sigh of relief that he had managed the routine without any major screw ups. His worst fear had been falling into the boards. He knew that he'd began the program stiff but eventually started to have fun.

Yuuri skated over to the exit where the last skater was getting on the ice. Practically as soon as Yuuri had his skate guards on, Viktor started to critique his skating. The first half was sloppy but your second half was good. It was probably the same way that Yakov coached him.

Since it wasn't an actual ISU competition, there was no Kiss and Cry. They had to wait for his marks in the crowd. **"Katsuki Yuuri's Short Program score is 94.36."** The announcer was calling it a solid short program performance. Yuuri was disappointed that he just missed the 100 point mark. It was his own fault for his bad transition out of the jump. He promised himself he would do better in his long program.

.O.

They had to wait for all the other two skaters to finish their short programs. In the meantime, Yuuri changed his skating costume.

By the end of the first round, Yuuri was in first place. It wasn't that surprising because he was older than many of the other competitors. Some of them may have more experience competing in competitions but Yuuri had been perfecting his skating over a much longer period of time.

...

He was the second last to perform for the Long Program so Yuuri had much more time to get nervous.

His mind kept coming up with predictions of what could happen. Yuuri had practiced this routine so many times he could do it blindfolded but still he was having misgivings. Thoughts kept creating self-doubt and low confidence. It was like a shot of adrenaline that made him want to run. He started to slouch. He fumbled with his water bottle.

The opportunity Yuuri had been waiting for years was here. Years of practice and training for this moment. He had learned every step of the routine, and Viktor kept complimenting his skating while in practice. Yuuri knew that he was a completely different skater in competition while under pressure.

The stakes were high. If Yuuri screwed up here, all of Viktor's work would go to waste.

He wasn't worried about how it would reflect on him but how others would think of Viktor. There was a chance his reputation could be completely ruined. If it came out that Viktor had coached Yuuri and he completely failed, others would think Viktor wasn't a good teacher and if he wanted to coach after he retired

Viktor could see that Yuuri's pupils were dilated. Which made improved your long range visibility and making you more aware of the audiences facial expressions. "Give me your glasses," Viktor commanded because it made it much harder for Yuuri to see other people. "Now take three deep breaths." He breathed along with Yuuri to show him how it should be done.

It was actually working. Yuuri could feel his tense muscles loosening. "This is exactly like last time. I got so nervous that people thought I was injured."

"Nerves can do that to people. Make you just freeze in place even though you are physically able to move." Viktor nodded in understanding. "You don't have to be perfect, it's OK to make mistakes." Viktor reassured him.

The skater before Yuuri was called, it meant they had to start heading to the ice. Viktor placed his arm supportively over Yuuri's shoulder as he escorted him into the main rink area. They were able to catch the tail end of the last skater's performance. He fell while performing a simple jump but the audience still politely clapped at the end.

It made Yuuri realize he was freaking out over nothing. He would have to not land a single jump to not be able to qualify.

"Skate like no one is watching," It seemed that it was going to be part of Viktor's pep talk every time.

Stepping out onto the ice, Yuuri glided towards the center of the rink to take his starting position. He pretended that the crowd wasn't there. That this was just another of his evening skates back at the Ice Castle.

Though, now when Yuuri skated at the Ice Castle he was hardly ever alone. Viktor was usually always watching. He wasn't going to skate like no one was watching, but just for Viktor.

When the music began Yuuri took off immediately. Unlike his last song, this one picked up very fast. They picked _In My Head by David Guetta_ for his long was a compromise from the other David Guetta song that Viktor had played him before. Yuuri had just related so much more to this one. It represented his drive to win and how he wouldn't give up.

It wasn't hard for Yuuri to get lost in the music. Once the music picked up he performed a twizzle. Straightening his skate for the next step sequence that included mohawks. Viktor made sure to include many step sequences in his performance because they were what he was strongest at.

It was all in his head. The only thing in his way was himself. Yuuri had everything that was needed to become a professional figure skater. He hadn't realized that until Viktor told him.

The first jump was met with cheers of the audience as Yuuri landed the salchow perfectly. Moving quickly into an upright spin, arching his back with his free leg drawn slightly. Coming out of the move, he transitioned gracefully into an axel jump.

All the nervousness had melted from his body, and Yuuri started to have fun. He danced along to the uplifting beat. The song made him believe that he had what it takes. They had placed a lot of dance moves in the second half. It felt like he wasn't just back at the Ice Castle but at Minako's dance studio. He was able to let go.

Landing his last jump perfectly, Yuuri was surprised to hear the crowd cheer so enthusiastically. It gave him the confidence to finish his program strong. Ending his routine with a final spin. Yuuri stood out of breath as the other contestants cheered for a job well done.

Yuuri squinted at the edge of the rink. Trying to pick out Viktor's blob out of the many. Finally, he saw the silver-blond hair and dashed towards it.

When he arrived at the exit Viktor scooped him into a hug. They ignored the clicking of camera phones around them.

"You were amazing," Viktor congratulated. There was only the minor slip up. He was extremely confident that Yuuri had done enough to qualify.

 _ **"Katsuki Yuuri's Free Skate score is 165.20."**_

When his marks came in Viktor scoped him up in his arms again.

Yuuri hugged the Russian skater back. "I actually made it." He whispered with disbelief. It amazed Yuuri that he had broken past 200 points by a large margin. It made him believe that he actually had what it takes to skate professionally. Though he would be competing against all the other international skaters when the season started.

 _ **"Making his combined score 259.56. Which is one of the highest ever qualifying times."**_

.0.

By the time they had exited the arena a swarm of paparazzi had descended. It was mostly just local reporters because it was such a surprise that the _Viktor Nikiforov_ would turn up there. Yuuri shied away from the cameras but Viktor held him firmly beside him so that he couldn't escape.

"What brought you to the Kyushu championships?" One reported asked.

"I came here to support Yuuri Katsuki," Viktor answered simply.

"What made him stand out to you?" Another one asked.

"I have seen a lot of talent in him and am helping Yuuri to go through the process of becoming certified to become a professional figure skater to represent his country." Viktor had gone through enough press conferences before he knew how to answer reports questions.

"Katsuki is just a children skating teacher, what makes you think he has what it takes." A female reporter asked. Yuuri blushed when his current profession came up. It seems that some of the reporters had already Googled him.

"I have never seen anyone skate with the amount of emotion he has before," Viktor answered truthfully.

"Katsuki skated a season in the junior division a few years ago and crumbled under the pressure." The male reporter from one of the skating magazines brought up. Yuuri shifted awkwardly on his heels when his past was brought up. "What makes you think this time around will be any different?"

"As you can tell from the high score he received today, that we have already addressed that issue," Viktor said into one of the microphones that were pushed into his face.

"Who is Katsuki Yuuri to you?" One of the reporters from one of the more local TV stations asked.

Viktor knew that if he didn't give them the story they would just make up something worse.

"While I was staying in Hasetsu over the summer, Yuuri became a dear friend to me and I'm hoping for something more between us in the future." Viktor didn't want to lie about his intentions anymore.

"What?" Yuuri said beside him with a surprised tone.

"No more questions for today." Viktor grabbed Yuuri's hand and dragged him towards the car he had called for. The photographers snapped pictures as they fled. Opening the door he forced Yuuri in before he sliding in beside him.

Closing the door behind them, Viktor indicated for the driver to just go. They left the reporters behind them. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Did you really mean what you said?" Yuuri asked unsurely.

"Of course I did. I would never joke about my feelings?" Viktor asked sarcastically. Despite his light tone, he was worried about the Japanese skater's answer.

"I don't know. Why would someone as amazing as you want to be with someone like me?" Yuuri asked self-consciously.

"Do you really have so little confidence in yourself that you can't believe that I would be interested in you?" Viktor asked with disbelief in his tone. He wanted to call Yuuri amazing until he believed it.

"Viktor-" Yuuri murmured, chewing on his lip nervously.

"I've been dropping hints since I first talked to you," Viktor stated truthfully. It had practically been infatuation the first time he had seen Yuuri skate. Once he had gotten to know Yuuri personally, Viktor knew it could possibly be love.

"And I've been oblivious," Yuuri thought of all the moments when Viktor had leaned too close to him or when he had held his hand when they walked together.

"I would like to actually see where this relationship will take us," Viktor asked anxiously. "Do you feel the same?" It would hurt him if the Japanese skater didn't return his feelings. It was far more than a crush. Over the past few months, he had grown to love him.

Deciding to forget what his mind was saying- that Yuuri wasn't good enough- instead, he said with what his heart was shouting. "Yes."

Leaning in Viktor wrapped his arms around Yuuri to hold him close. "Will you be my kareshi?" Viktor whispered into his ear, remembering to use the word he had heard the shop keepers referring to them as. His Japanese was still pretty terrible but he couldn't forget that word.

"I would love to be your druzhok," Yuuri replied back using the Russian word for boyfriend. He had been studying the language and had found himself looking up the word just in case. It had seemed an unlikely development at the time.

Releasing his hold, Viktor leaned back so that he could see Yuuri's face. There was a bush spread across Yuuri's cheeks and his glasses were crooked. His brown eyes were so open and Viktor had a strong urge.

Viktor checked to see what the driver was doing. The man had his eyes on the road. He was probably just pretending not to listen to what was happening in his back seat. He was sure the cab driver had seen worse than what he was going to do.

Viktor pulled Yuuri into a kiss.

o0o

Conclusion

It had been a while since Viktor had been able to see Yuuri. They had both been going to different skating competitions. While he was competing at Skate Canada, Yuuri had been assigned to skate China. They had both supported each other from a distance. Viktor even had to give Yuuri a pep talk over the phone before a nerve-racking competition.

Their plane had been delayed so by the time Viktor had gotten to the rink the competition had already begun. He headed to the skater area and looked for any sign of Yuuri. As soon as he saw Celestino he ran over.

The man had agreed to be Yuuri's coach as long as he could bring a skater he already had with him. Phichit Chulanont was a young Thai skater that was making his senior debut, the same as Yuuri. The two of them became fast friends. When Viktor was away he always looked at Phichit's Instagram because he was always posting Pictures of Yuuri. He wished that Yuuri would get into social media.

"Where's Yuuri?" Viktor asked while clutching at the man's suit. The Italian pointed him to the back hallway. It made sense because Yuuri tended to get nervous before competitions so he liked to be alone. He thanked the man and headed into the hallway.

When Viktor saw Yuuri stretching against the wall with his ear buds in he couldn't help hugging him from behind.

When Yuuri felt two arms wrap around him he froze in shock, until he saw the silver-blond hair in his peripheral vision. He melted into the hold. Placing his hands over the arms wrapped around his waist.

"I missed you," Viktor whispered into his ear.

"I missed you too," Yuuri replied back affectionately.

Somehow they were actually managing to make their relationship work. Even though they spent weeks apart jetting around the world for different competitions, they always knew the other would be waiting for them when they returned.

They had made the rink in St. Petersburg their home rink for the rest of the season. Yakov had approved for Yuuri to train at his rink in Russia. He had realized if he wanted Viktor to come home all he had to do was allow the Japanese skater to come alongside. If he tried to separate them for a long period of time, Viktor would just run off again.

After spending more time with the Russian team, Yuuri realized that Yuri didn't actually hate him but acted that brusquely with everyone. They had come to an understanding and were on friendly terms. Yuuri had become fond of the teen. He would also be cheering Yuri on during this competition.

"What number did you draw?" Viktor questioned.

"Number 2," Yuuri answered with a sigh.

"That's soon," Viktor stated and Yuuri elbowed him to communicate he wasn't helping. "You're going to do amazing."

"Just because we're skating on the same ice as competitors, I don't want you going easy on me." Yuuri was worried that Viktor would hold back when he was competing against him. He wanted to win on his own merit. They both had very competitive personalities.

"I promise I won't be going easy on you," Viktor claimed, kissing Yuuri's knuckles. He wanted to do a lot more but they were in public.

Yuuri never skated with the intent to lose but he knew that it was unlikely that he was going to win up against such tough competition. It wasn't just Viktor either. He was familiar with the whole Russian figure skating teams capabilities and Yurio could give him a run for his money.

 **"Group A will be taking the ice."** The announcer said over the speaker.

Seeing Yuuri turn to head to the ice, Viktor grabbed the sleeve of his Japanese team jacket to stop him. Viktor pulled him closer and tipped Yuuri's chin up then indulgently brushed their lips together in a chaste manner. The move didn't surprise any of the other skaters, it wasn't a secret the two of them were dating by any means.

Viktor rested their foreheads together. "Good luck kiss." said as an explanation.

"You think I would completely fail without it," Yuuri said sarcastically.

"I just have so much luck I thought I should share some with you," Viktor said good naturally.

Celestino was gesturing at the door that Yuuri needed to head to the rink. Quickly Yuuri pulled Viktor into a deeper kiss then headed towards his coach.

...

After performing a combination jump, Yuuri twirled out of his last move. Ending his long program with a hand over his heart and his arm pointing to where Viktor was waiting for him in the kiss and cry.

Panting Yuuri dropped his arms and pushed his hair back that had become un-gelled. He could hear the crowd more than he could see them. While he had been skating all he concentrated on was the rush of emotions the song gave him. Yuuri had given his all in this program and not allowed his nerves to get the best of him.

The crowd cheered and tossed flowers and stuffed animals onto the ice to show their approval.

He picked up a sushi plushy on his way to the Kiss and Cry where Viktor was already waiting for him. It was usually unheard of to have another skater representing another country as support but Viktor refused to stay at a distance.

Like always Yuuri didn't skate solely for the audience or the judges, he wanted to know what Viktor thought. Judging by the adoring look he was receiving, Yuuri assumed he did pretty good.

Yuuri received a passionate kiss when he received his new high score. It didn't seem to matter to Viktor that it was broadcasted on live TV broadcast.

.o.

From the podium, Yuuri looked down in astonishment at his Bronze medal.

It had seemed an impossible feat when Viktor had suggested that he had what it took to make the podium. Yuuri never really expected to be able to beat any of the really good skaters.

Yuuri looked up at the score board with amazement.

 **Short Long Combined**

 **Viktor Nikiforov 1st 124.34 207.31 331.65**

 **Yuri Plisetsky 2nd 118.56 200.97 319.53**

 **Yuuri Katsuki 3rd 97.83 221.58 319.41**

 **Christophe Giacometti 4th 112.45 189.01 301.46**

 **Jean-Jacques Leroy 5th 11.34 177.25 288.59**

 **Otabek Altin 6th 112.38 181.19 293.41**

 **Phichit Chulanont 7th 86.75 199.01 285.76**

 **Georgi Popovich 8th 87.98 159.23 247.21**

Viktor clapped him on the shoulder from the top of the podium. He had managed to keep his first world standing despite the stiff competition from new younger skaters.

From the second place on the podium, Yuri Plisetsky had a sour expression on his face. He must have really wanted to beat Viktor. Even having the Silver medal for the Grand Pre didn't seem to cheer him up. The boy had skated his short program to _Sum 41 song Sucker Punch_ and his long to _IAMX song Spit it out_. He was sure the two songs were a little out there for the judges. Yuuri was surprised that Yakov let the kid use them.

Yuuri had done the worst in the short program, coming the highest in the Long program by a high margin. Though the combined scores pushed him into the third place. The younger Yuri had just managed to edge him out by not even a full point from the silver position. In figure skating, every point counted, it could mean the difference between meddling and coming in fourth.

Yuuri was just happy that he had achieved his dream of ending up on the podium with the great Viktor Nikiforov. It meant so much more now than his younger self could have imagined. He could never have dreamed of being friends with his idol let alone being in a relationship.

Viktor hauled Yuuri onto the top of the podium with him. Viktor pulled Yuuri into a kiss, Yuuri gripping his shoulders as he kisses back. He hears shouting, applause and cheering; but it is faded to the feeling of Viktor's arms pressed around him and the heat of his mouth.

Instead of skating like no one is watching, Yuuri would rather skate purely for Viktor.

 **The End**


End file.
